Mainland Affairs Council Chair-woman Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said that recently launched Chinese investigations into what it alleges is dumping by Taiwanese steel producers won't be the last of such probes.
"The anti-dumping probes initiated by China definitely will not be the last -- we will see more in the future," Tsai said at a press conference Friday night.
PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, TAIPEI TIMES
Tsai's remarks seemed to suggest the nation is entering a trade war with China in the wake of both countries' accession to the WTO earlier this year.
Tsai told reporters that the anti-dumping suits and probes would be a frequent measure employed by member countries in order to protect their domestic industries.
Tsai made the statements in response to an announcement by Beijing that it was launching anti-dumping probes into cold-rolled steel and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) producers from various countries, including Taiwan.
The first probe, in which China accuses Taiwan's steelmakers of selling below-cost cold-rolled steel in its market, was announced last Monday following complaints by Shanghai Baosteel Group Corp (上海寶山鋼鐵), the Wuhan Iron & Steel Co (武漢鋼鐵) and Anshan Iron & Steel Group (鞍山鋼鐵) against Taiwan, South Korea, Russia, the Ukraine and Kazakhstan.
On Friday China raised a second anti-dumping investigation, targeting PVC producers from Taiwan, the US, Russia, Japan and South Korea.
Tsai joked at the press conference that she should arrange a class for reporters on the subject as she expects the number of probes to increase.
Although Taiwanese officials have urged China to resolve the dispute under the trade body's framework, Beijing has refused to consider such an option.
"[The investigation] is China's internal affair," said Li Weiyi (李維一), spokesman for Beijing's Taiwan Affairs Office.
China has been criticized for failing to notify Taiwan before it launched the investigations.
According to the WTO's Anti-Dumping Agreement, members must be consulted by any other member that initiates an anti-dumping investigation.
Yen Ching-chang (
China's moves have been widely interpreted by analysts here as being politically charged.
Tsai emphasized throughout the news conference that the trade probes are nothing to get too anxious about. Tsai said that the matter amounts to nothing more than "normal measures adopted by member countries to deal with competition between domestic and international companies."
Indeed, other countries have made moves to protect their domestic industries.
The US announced earlier this month that it will impose 8 percent to 30 percent tariffs on imported steel products over the next three years to protect its steel industry. The announcement was met with strong protests from other countries.
While most Taiwanese officials, including Yen, MAC Vice Chairman John Deng (鄧振中) and Minister of Economic Affairs Lin Yi-fu (林義夫), are busy assisting domestic companies in dealing with the matter, the Council of Economic Planning and Development vice chairwoman, Ho Mei-yue (何美玥), had a different take on the matter.
Ho pointed out that earlier this year, the Taiwanese government approved more than 7,000 Chinese agricultural and industrial products imported to Taiwan based on the WTO's spirit of openness and free trade.
However, since the public has been concerned that cheaper Chinese goods might have a negative impact on the local market, Ho suggested that "the anti-dumping probe initiated by the Chinese side is one example that can be utilized by Taiwan to protect domestic industries' rights and interests [by considering launching our own probes, when necessary]."
Despite the long road that Taiwan faced in gaining accession to the world trade body, Tsai said that the anti-dumping war has only just begun and will continue to grow. Taiwan still faces many WTO challenges ahead, she warned.
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