The head of the Taiwan-Japan Relations Association, Kuo Chung-shi, says that Taiwan will use science to decide what to do about a ban on food imports from parts of Japan.
The areas of Japan subject to the ban are located near the site of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster. Giving Japan’s leadership role in the CPTPP trade agreement, Taiwan’s bid to join may depend on lifting this ban. A referendum that passed in November 2018 extended the ban for a period of two years, but now, those two years are up.
The issue of the ban may come up at an annual trade dialogue between Taiwan and Japan, which has been postponed this year due to COVID-19, but which is expected to take place virtually in the coming months.
At a press conference Thursday, Kuo said that before changing or lifting the ban, the government will have to be certain that doing so will not impact the health of Taiwan’s people. Kuo said that international standards, scientific evidence, and the policies of other countries will all be considered before making any decision.