Premier Su Tseng-chang says the people of Taiwan should stand together in the face of threats from China. Su was speaking at the Legislature on Friday.
Su told lawmakers that the African swine fever epidemic sweeping China is symbolic of the threats China poses to Taiwan. The disease does not affect humans, but is fatal to pigs. Taiwan has adopted strict measures in an effort to prevent the disease from crossing the Taiwan Strait and devastating the local pork industry.
During his remarks, Su pointed to a map of Asia highlighting areas where the disease has spread. The premier said that if the map represented Chinese political influence rather than African swine fever, then a shortage of pork would be the least of Taiwan’s worries. He said that the suppression of freedom and human rights would become Taiwan’s main concern instead.
The premier said that Taiwan is now facing the threat of Chinese infiltration into daily life, and that the people of Taiwan need to come together.