Taiwan’s diplomatic personnel have never bowed to external pressure, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday, after Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislative candidates accused overseas representatives, including Democratic Progressive Party vice presidential candidate Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴), of giving in to US demands on pork imports.
KMT legislative candidates Chang Szu-kang (張斯綱), Hsu Chiao-hsin (徐巧芯) and Yu Shu-hui (游淑慧) yesterday accused former representative to the US Hsiao of jeopardizing Taiwan’s interests in negotiating the opening of the nation’s market to imports of US pork containing ractopamine.
Taiwan on Jan. 1, 2021, eased restrictions on imports of US pork products containing residues of the animal feed additive.
Photo: Tien Yu-hua, Taipei Times
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) in August 2020, about three months after Hsiao took office as representative, announced that imports of US pork containing ractopamine were to be permitted, Chang told a news conference in Taipei.
Tsai said the products would be clearly labeled with their country of origin, Hsu said.
However, Nick Giordano, vice president of the US National Pork Producers Council, told the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the US that the labeling requirement had not been mentioned during negotiations and asked that it be waived or it would express strong opposition to the Office of the US Trade Representative and the US Congress, she said.
Taiwan and the US agreed to allow country-of-origin labels for US pork, but not labels showing that the products contain ractopamine, she said.
The government concealed information from the public under the pretense that it was confidential, Hsu said, adding that if elected, she would advocate for the disclosure of all the information about the negotiations that does not involve national secrets.
Ministry spokesman Jeff Liu (劉永健) said that diplomatic personnel have never bowed to external pressure, nor have they sacrificed the rights and interests of Taiwanese during negotiations.
The legislative candidates discussed the negotiation process, rather than the finalized policy, Liu said.
The Food and Drug Administration has repeatedly said that country-of-origin labeling for US pork is mandatory, he said.
Imports of US beef containing ractopamine residue, approved in 2012, were only required to carry labels showing the country of origin, not whether they contain the additive, the ministry said.
Certain KMT members played up a conversation between diplomatic personnel and US National Pork Producers Council members to make specious claims to mislead the public, it said.
The ministry condemns the candidates for harming diplomatic personnel with false comments made to generate publicity, Liu said.
As a member of the international economic and trade system, Taiwan must consider domestic public opinion and comply with international norms and scientific principles, the ministry said, adding that the public’s health is its top priority.
Representative offices engage extensively with all sectors in the country where they are based to understand opinions and solicit support on various issues, it said.
It is diplomatic practice for countries to conduct confidential communications before bilateral or multilateral agreements are finalized to avoid confusion and to maintain mutual trust, it said.
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