The Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) and pig farmers from Pingtung County yesterday demonstrated outside the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) in Taipei against a proposed lifting of a ban on imports of US pork products, and vowed to mobilize larger protests if the incoming Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government does not maintain the ban.
Pork farmers led by Pingtung County Pork Farmers’ Association president Pan Chang-cheng (潘長成) and TSU members held placards that read: “No to American pork with ractopamine” and “No to toxic pork, defend our health.”
“Allowing pork with ractopamine to be imported from the US would have severe impacts on pig farmers, as well as on public health,” Pan said.
Photo: Chen Chih-chu, Taipei Times
“Nearly 98 percent of pork products in Taiwan are locally produced, which shows that we do not need to import pork from elsewhere, especially if the pork contains ractopamine,” Pan said.
“If the next government insists on lifting the ban, I will mobilize pig farmers from across the nation to demonstrate in front of the Presidential Office and the Council of Agriculture [(COA],” he added.
He expressed his concerns that pork prices might drop by 50 percent if US pork is allowed to be imported, which could have a major impact on the more than 300,000 people working in related industries, and a majority of pig farmers might not be able to survive, as most of them draw their funding from loans.
“[COA minister-designate] Tsao Chi-hung (曹啟鴻) has served as Pingtung County commissioner, he should know the problem very well,” Pan said. “He should know that Pingtung has the largest pig farming industry in the nation, which supplies about one-quarter of the pork in the nation, and would suffer the most if US pork products are allowed to be imported.”
Pan accused Tsao of “surrendering before the fight has even started.”
The latest dispute over pork imports was sparked when Tsao said in a recent interview with the Chinese-language United Daily News that he would not be able to stop the lifting of the ban.
TSU’s Department of Organization director Chao Chao-lin (張兆林) said Tsao would not have made the statement without prior consideration, adding that Tsao saying so probably means the US is putting pressure on the incoming DPP government.
“That is why we are here to show the public opinion related to the US here,” Chang said. “We are also showing the incoming government that they are backed by the government in their negotiations with the US, and thus should not give up on the pork issue.”
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
A magnitude 4.1 earthquake struck eastern Taiwan's Hualien County at 2:23pm today, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). The epicenter of the temblor was 5.4 kilometers northeast of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 34.9 km, according to the CWA. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was the highest in Hualien County, where it measured 2 on Taiwan's 7-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 1 in Yilan county, Taichung, Nantou County, Changhua County and Yunlin County, the CWA said. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
President William Lai (賴清德) has appointed former vice president Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) to attend the late Pope Francis’ funeral at the Vatican City on Saturday on his behalf, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today. The Holy See announced Francis’ funeral would take place on Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square. The ministry expressed condolences over Francis’ passing and said that Chen would represent Taiwan at the funeral and offer condolences in person. Taiwan and the Vatican have a long-standing and close diplomatic relationship, the ministry said. Both sides agreed to have Chen represent Taiwan at the funeral, given his Catholic identity and
RSS