The Council of Agriculture yesterday cautioned farmers against rashly making inroads into China.
Council Vice Chairman Tai Cheng-yao's (戴振耀) warning came after recent reports that Chinese authorities promised to give tariff-free treatment to Taiwan's agriculture products.
Tai questioned whether this is part of China' "united front" tactics to try to obtain Taiwan's superior agricultural technology.
In addition, the preferential treatment could be suspended at any time as the two sides of the Taiwan Strait have not signed an agreement, he added.
Tai was speaking at a meeting convened by the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) legislative caucus, which is studying the feasibility of the nation's agricultural products making inroads into China under the framework of the WTO.
Tai expressed doubts about China's claimed intention of taking care of Taiwanese farmers, saying that the country leads most other nations in agricultural technology.
He said that if China obtains Taiwan's agricultural technology after contracting Taiwanese farmers to work in special zones opened for them in China, then Beijing might "turn from opening to controlling."
Bureau of Foreign Trade Director-General Huang Chih-peng (黃志鵬) said on the same occasion that the chances of China giving preferential treatment to Taiwan's agricultural products is minimal.
Huang said that in line with the rules of the WTO other member nation's have the right to request the same treatment if China gives tariff-free treatment to Taiwan's agricultural products.
He said the nation's agricultural products are highly competitive and that exports to the global market have grown since the country's WTO entry in January 2002 while exports to China have decreased in the same period. He said this illustrates that China has set up steep non-tariff barriers.
"Those who are considering making inroads into the [Chinese] market had better be on guard, " he said, adding that "if they decide to make inroads into China, they had better do so through legal channels to cut the risks to a minimum."
Fu Don-cheng (
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