Legalization of the animal feed additive ractopamine and the ensuing lifting of a ban on US beef imports with residue of the additive are likely to be the first hotly debated issues in the new legislative session, which begins on Friday.
Many lawmakers from across the political spectrum are opposed to loosening restrictions on the drug, which promotes leanness in animal meat, and the related proposition of lifting a ban on imports of US beef containing residue of the drug.
Although the government has said it has no fixed position on the issue, the opposition has said that it suspects the ban on US beef imports could be lifted soon because of strong US pressure.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus has long made its opposition to such imports clear, saying that Taiwan should deliberate the issue based on the decision made by the UN Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), which was considering adopting a maximum residue level of 10 parts per billion for ractopamine last year. However, a decision was delayed until this summer.
The drug is currently banned in Taiwan, China, South Korea and the EU, although it is allowed in 26 countries, including the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
The DPP says that Taiwan should regulate the maximum residue level (MRL) for ractopamine in accordance with the CAC’s decision, which is expected in July, DPP Legislator Chen Ting-fei (陳亭妃) said.
A thorough health-risk assessment and public opinion surveys should also be included in the decisionmaking process, Chen added.
DPP Legislator Wu Ping-jui (吳秉叡) proposed settling the dispute on the MRL for ractopamine in imported US beef products by holding a national referendum.
The Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) said it opposed loosening restrictions on ractopamine in all meat products because of the health risks, with party caucus whip Hsu Chung-hsin (許忠信) saying that the party “would voice strong opposition to the very end.”
TSU Legislator Lin Shih-chia (林世嘉) said the party feels that a national referendum could be used as a last resort, but that even if one is held, it could fail to pass because of the high threshold required.
The People First Party (PFP) is also opposed to loosening restrictions, but does not think a referendum is necessary, party caucus whip Lee Tung-hao (李桐豪) said.
The PFP caucus has proposed amending the Act Governing Food Sanitation (食品衛生管理法), which would apply the standard regulated by the CAC.
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) controls the 113-member legislature with a majority of 64 seats, potentially giving it the power to pass any bill.
However, several KMT legislators have also expressed concerns about the issue, in particular lawmakers from agriculture constituencies in central and southern regions.
KMT lawmakers Yang Li-huan (楊麗環) and Cheng Ru-fen (鄭汝芬) have both proposed amending the Act Governing Food Sanitation to ban ractopamine from all meat products in the market.
A Chinese freighter that allegedly snapped an undersea cable linking Taiwan proper to Penghu County is suspected of being owned by a Chinese state-run company and had docked at the ports of Kaohsiung and Keelung for three months using different names. On Tuesday last week, the Togo-flagged freighter Hong Tai 58 (宏泰58號) and its Chinese crew were detained after the Taipei-Penghu No. 3 submarine cable was severed. When the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) first attempted to detain the ship on grounds of possible sabotage, its crew said the ship’s name was Hong Tai 168, although the Automatic Identification System (AIS)
An Akizuki-class destroyer last month made the first-ever solo transit of a Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ship through the Taiwan Strait, Japanese government officials with knowledge of the matter said yesterday. The JS Akizuki carried out a north-to-south transit through the Taiwan Strait on Feb. 5 as it sailed to the South China Sea to participate in a joint exercise with US, Australian and Philippine forces that day. The Japanese destroyer JS Sazanami in September last year made the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s first-ever transit through the Taiwan Strait, but it was joined by vessels from New Zealand and Australia,
CHANGE OF MIND: The Chinese crew at first showed a willingness to cooperate, but later regretted that when the ship arrived at the port and refused to enter Togolese Republic-registered Chinese freighter Hong Tai (宏泰號) and its crew have been detained on suspicion of deliberately damaging a submarine cable connecting Taiwan proper and Penghu County, the Coast Guard Administration said in a statement yesterday. The case would be subject to a “national security-level investigation” by the Tainan District Prosecutors’ Office, it added. The administration said that it had been monitoring the ship since 7:10pm on Saturday when it appeared to be loitering in waters about 6 nautical miles (11km) northwest of Tainan’s Chiang Chun Fishing Port, adding that the ship’s location was about 0.5 nautical miles north of the No.
SECURITY: The purpose for giving Hong Kong and Macau residents more lenient paths to permanent residency no longer applies due to China’s policies, a source said The government is considering removing an optional path to citizenship for residents from Hong Kong and Macau, and lengthening the terms for permanent residence eligibility, a source said yesterday. In a bid to prevent the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from infiltrating Taiwan through immigration from Hong Kong and Macau, the government could amend immigration laws for residents of the territories who currently receive preferential treatment, an official familiar with the matter speaking on condition of anonymity said. The move was part of “national security-related legislative reform,” they added. Under the amendments, arrivals from the Chinese territories would have to reside in Taiwan for
RSS