Taiwan has no “preset stance” on imports of US pork containing ractopamine, president-elect Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said yesterday, according to Cabinet spokesman-designate Tung Chen-yuan (童振源).
Tsai made the remarks at the opening of a two-day “consensus-building camp” for the members of the incoming Cabinet in Taipei.
The Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) Tsai is to be sworn into office on May 20.
Her administration will achieve its goals through communication and negotiation, and during that process, it will consider the development of the domestic pig farming industry, food safety and international standards, Tsai was quoted as saying.
Taiwan will have to finish all preparations first and “whether to open to US pork imports will depend on the results of future negotiations. We do not have a preset stance right now,” Tsai said.
Tsai also said that the new government will have to communicate fully with the public, the legislature and the media, Tung said.
The issue of opening the nation’s market to imports of US pork containing ractopamine, a feed additive that promotes leanness in animals, surfaced after Council of Agriculture minister-designate Tsao Chi-hung (曹啟鴻) said in an April 21 interview that Taiwan cannot shut its doors to US pork containing the ractopamine forever in the face of globalization.
His remarks have drawn criticism from the public, especially from pig farmers, for showing an apparent about-face in the DPP’s stance on the issue.
The US has said that Taiwan must lift its ban on imports of pork containing ractopamine to expand trade ties.
“Pork is certainly one of the important issues” in trade relations between the two nations, US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Tong said during a visit to Taiwan late last month.
The US had insisted during President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) first term from 2008 to 2012 that Taiwan’s ban on imports of US beef containing ractopamine be lifted before trade ties could be advanced.
The DPP opposed lifting the ban at that time, until the Codex Alimentarius Commission, a UN body that sets food standards, voted 69-67 in July 2012 to allow ractopamine residue in pigs, cattle and turkeys.
Taiwan formally eased its ban on US beef imports with traces of ractopamine in July 2012, soon after the commission’s vote, leading to the resumption of talks under the Taiwan-US Trade and Investment Framework Agreement, which had been suspended since 2007.
However, both the DPP and the Ma administration continued to oppose the import of US pork with traces of ractopamine, on which the incoming government seems willing to compromise to advance Taiwan’s trade interests.
A preclearance service to facilitate entry for people traveling to select airports in Japan would be available from Thursday next week to Feb. 25 at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taoyuan International Airport Corp (TIAC) said on Tuesday. The service was first made available to Taiwanese travelers throughout the winter vacation of 2024 and during the Lunar New Year holiday. In addition to flights to the Japanese cities of Hakodate, Asahikawa, Akita, Sendai, Niigata, Okayama, Takamatsu, Kumamoto and Kagoshima, the service would be available to travelers to Kobe and Oita. The service can be accessed by passengers of 15 flight routes operated by
Chinese spouse and influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China videos that threaten national security, the National Immigration Agency confirmed today. Guan Guan has said many controversial statements in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” and expressing hope for expedited reunification. The agency last year received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification. After verifying the reports, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and explain her actions. Guan
GIVE AND TAKE: Blood demand continues to rise each year, while fewer young donors are available due to the nation’s falling birthrate, a doctor said Blood donors can redeem points earned from donations to obtain limited edition Formosan black bear travel mugs, the Kaohsiung Blood Center said yesterday, as it announced a goal of stocking 20,000 units of blood prior to the Lunar New Year. The last month of the lunar year is National Blood Donation Month, when local centers seek to stockpile blood for use during the Lunar New Year holiday. The blood demand in southern Taiwan — including Tainan and Kaohsiung, as well as Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Taitung counties — is about 2,000 units per day, the center said. The donation campaign aims to boost
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) said a magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck off the coast of eastern Taiwan yesterday was an independent event and part of a stress-adjustment process. The earthquake occurred at 4:47pm, with its epicenter at sea about 45.4km south of Yilan County Hall at a depth of 5.9km, the CWA said. The quake's intensity, which gauges the actual effects of a temblor, was highest in several townships in Yilan and neighboring Hualien County, where it measured 4 on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the CWA said. Lin Po-yu (林柏佑), a division chief at the CWA's Seismological Center, told a news conference
RSS