President Tsai Ing-wen says that her decision to relax bans on US beef and pork is for Taiwan’s economic interests. She was speaking at the ruling Democratic Progressive Party Central Standing Committee meeting on Wednesday.
Last Friday, Tsai announced that Taiwan would lift its bans on US beef from cattle 30 months and older and on pork containing the additive ractopamine. This was met with backlash from the local pork industry and from opposition parties. But US officials have praised the move and announced that bilateral trade talks will take place soon.
When asked if lifting the ban was part of a quid pro quo with the US, Tsai said, “These days ‘quid pro quo’ is a catch phrase, but there was no exchange. All decisions have been made based on economic interests and along with our overall strategic goals. We’ve used international standards and scientific evidence for our decisions. We hope that this decision can show the world that we are able and determined to resolve this issue.”
The president also thanked pig farmers for building a reputation for Taiwan’s pork industry.
Tsai also said that the global economy and the structure of supply chains have been changing. She said that, at this key moment, Taiwan should show its ability to resolve economic issues and strive to work with other nations to play a key role in the global economy.