Beijing should not weaponize trade or use it to further its “united front” rhetoric using the classic carrot-and-stick ploy, Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Deputy Minister Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said yesterday.
Earlier, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Zhu Fenglian (朱鳳蓮) said that Beijing is willing to assist in resuming imports of Taiwanese agricultural and fishery products to China.
Zhu made the statement after Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Deputy Chairman Andrew Hsia (夏立言) met with high-ranking Chinese officials.
Photo: CNA
Liang said that China’s weaponization of trade is not conducive to the amicable development of cross-strait relations.
It is Taiwan’s opinion that the resumption of regular dialogue between the agricultural sectors on both sides of the Taiwan Strait is the only way to safeguard Taiwanese agriculture and the interests of local farmers, Liang said.
Zhu said that China has always prioritized the profits and welfare of Taiwanese farmers and fishers, and Beijing was answering calls from the KMT and other groups to resume imports of Taiwanese goods.
“We are willing to work with relevant groups in Taiwan and provide assistance with resuming imports of Taiwanese agricultural and fishery products to China,” Zhu said.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said that China instigated the ban on Taiwanese imports, and treating the resumption of trade as an act of benevolence was an example of “the wolf crying wolf.”
The DPP urged the KMT not to facilitate Beijing’s “united front” rhetoric and trade Taiwan’s agriculture interests for its own benefit.
Since March 2021, China has successively halted imports of Taiwanese goods, saying the packaging contained SARS-CoV-2 or its strains, or that too much residual pesticide was found on produce.
Taiwan’s efforts to resolve China’s unilateral suspension of imports through the WTO were ignored, a sign that Beijing was weaponizing trade for political gains, the DPP said.
It said that China’s “united front” rhetoric is geared toward dividing Taiwan from within — a goal that the KMT must remember.
With the COVID-19 pandemic winding down, Beijing should contribute toward promoting a healthy and orderly model for cross-strait interactions instead of pursuing its “united front” rhetoric, the DPP added.
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