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DPP demands new beef negotiations

Taiwan’s agreement to relax restrictions on imports of US beef is much laxer than that agreed between South Korea and the US, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, reiterating its demand the government re-launch negotiations with the US over the decision.

Speaking at a press conference, DPP Spokesman Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌) showed an enlarged copy of the protocol signed between Taiwan and US on Oct. 22 and the US-South Korea agreement forged last year when Seoul lifted its ban on US beef, saying the requirements listed in the Taiwan version were much more lenient.

The government has said that the agreement opening Taiwan’s market to US beef and related products was comparable to Seoul’s.

The eight-page protocol said Taiwan would allow imports of US bone-in beef, bovine internal organs and meat from cattle older than 30 months of age — all forbidden products under the previous ban because of concerns over bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease. These products are still banned in South Korea, Tsai said.

“Not only did President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) lack competence when negotiating with the US, he also jeopardized Taiwan’s public health by lying to the people. The DPP reiterates its demand for the government to start the negotiations afresh in the face of a flawed protocol,” Tsai said.

DPP Legislator Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) criticized National Security Council (NSC) chief Su Chi (蘇起), who on Thursday said that being an international agreement, it was perfectly normal that the Taiwan-US protocol to be published in English only.

“According to the law, all treaties or agreements must be stated in Chinese and the official language used by the other party. It is hard to fathom why our NSC chief has such a poor understanding of international courtesy,” Kuan said.

The protocol can be found on the Department of Health Web site.
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