The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislative caucus yesterday rebutted an allegation from the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) that the party has changed its stance on importing pork from the US after DPP presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) visited the US in June last year.
During a presidential candidates’ debate last weekend, Tsai said that Taiwan should reference the examples of Japan and South Korea when considering whether to allow imports of US pork products with traces of “leanness enhancer” ractopamine.
However, the KMT has accused her of changing her stance after her US visit, as she had previously said there should be zero tolerance for ractopamine.
In a press conference at the DPP caucus office yesterday, caucus whip Chen Ting-fei (陳亭妃) said that the DPP has not changed its stance on ractopamine and urged the KMT to refrain from politically manipulating the issue.
“The DPP will absolutely protect pig farmers in Taiwan, while implementing border control, so that the people can be worry free on food,” Chen said.
“This has always been the DPP’s stance, and we have never changed. The KMT should refrain from throwing mud before the election,” Chen said.
Chen said that the DPP would exercise strict health risk evaluations when deciding on the issue, and would take Taiwan’s culinary culture into consideration.
Chen also promised pig farmers that the DPP would protect their rights and help to make them more competitive.
Responding to criticism from Council of Agriculture Minister Chen Bao-ji (陳保基) and KMT presidential candidate Eric Chu (朱立倫), Chen Ting-fei quoted Chen Bao-ji as saying on Feb. 18, 2012, that the government would not rule out the possibility of completely lifting a ban on ractopamine, as US citizens have not encountered any health problems after consuming pork with ractopamine.
Chen quoted Chu as saying on the first day of his US visit on Nov. 11 last year that if Taiwan is to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), it should not employ a different standard from neighboring countries concerning the import of US pork products.
“They made such statements before any health evaluation or precondition, yet, now they are talking nonsense as the elections approach,” Chen Ting-fei said.
Tsai on Wednesday said that it is still too early to talk about importing US pork products and it would not be the only issue that Taiwan has to deal with when engaged in negotiations to join the TPP.
She stressed that the US pork issue would be a difficult one to handle in TPP negotiations, but that her government would talk to the public and the pig farming industry to make sure that the public’s interest is maximized.
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