Taiwanese have had misgivings about the safety of Japanese food since the nuclear disaster that followed the massive March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, and Japan should have more patience in dealing with the issue, Association of East Asian Relations chairman Lee Chia-chin (李嘉進) said.
Lee said Taiwan is Japan’s third-largest export market for its agricultural products. For example, 90 percent of Aomori Prefecture’s apple exports go to Taiwan, he said.
Lee said it was only natural for people to be concerned about food safety, and if doubts exist about Japanese food, Japan should go out of its way to put Taiwanese at ease.
“The matter has nothing to do with politics,” Lee said.
Japan has expressed its displeasure with a move by the Ministry of Health and Welfare to tighten regulations on Japanese food imports after products from five nuclear-affected prefectures — Gunma, Fukushima, Ibaraki, Tochigi, and Chiba — were found on the Taiwanese market last month with faked labels.
The new measures, requested by the legislature, are to require Japanese food products to show their specific places of origin rather than just the country of origin, and some products would also require a radiation inspection certificate.
Lee was responding to remarks by a member of the Japanese Diet from Gunma Prefecture, who said in a meeting on Friday that Taiwan’s tougher stance on food imports was a political move.
“The patience of Gunma has its limits, and it will soon explode,” Hiroyoshi Sasakawa said, while another Japanese lawmaker said that “it is time for the Japanese government to take the case to the WTO.”
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s administration said it attaches great importance to the issue and plans to send a delegation headed by his special adviser to Taipei on Thursday.
One Liberal Democratic Party official said that the visit had been previously scheduled, but the issue of Taiwan tightening regulations on imported Japanese food was added to the agenda after the dispute emerged.
Members of the Japanese Diet are all best friends of Taiwan, and “everything can be discussed between good friends,” the party official said.
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday thanked Palau for its continued support of Taiwan's international participation, as Taipei was once again excluded from the World Health Assembly (WHA) currently taking place in Switzerland. "Palau has never stopped voicing support for Taiwan" in the UN General Assembly, the WHO and other UN-affiliated agencies, Lai said during a bilateral meeting with visiting Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. "We have been profoundly touched by these endorsements," Lai said, praising the Pacific island nation's firm support as "courageous." Lai's remarks came as Taiwan was excluded for the ninth consecutive year from the WHA, which is being held in
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
At least three people died and more than a dozen were injured yesterday afternoon when a vehicle struck a group of pedestrians in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽). The incident happened at about 4pm when a car rammed into pedestrians at an intersection near Bei Da Elementary School. Witnesses said the sedan, being driven at a high speed, ran a red light, knocking scooters out of the way and hitting students crossing the road before careening into a median near the intersection of Guocheng and Guoguang streets. The incident resulted in three deaths and 13 injuries, including the driver, a 78-year-old man