Politics

US beef imports seen as key to FTA

• Publication Date：10/30/2009
• Source： China Times

Taiwan has to open its market to American beef products unless it does not wish to sign a free trade agreement with the United States, said experts familiar with Taiwan-U.S. relations Oct. 28.

The experts also pointed out mounting controversy surrounding the R.O.C. government’s decision to lift partial bans on U.S. beef offal and spinal cords will not harm bilateral ties between Taipei and Washington.

Participants at a conference on U.S. policy in the Taiwan Strait hosted by Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., discussed U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, lawsuits involving former President Chen Shui-bian and cross-strait relations.

Commenting on the recent uproar in Taiwan over U.S. beef imports, Alan Romberg, former deputy spokesman for the U.S. State Department, stressed the signing of the agreement was the right thing to do, adding he understood why the whole thing has become a sensitive political issue.

“I would have argued this was an appropriate and sensible decision,” said Romberg, currently distinguished fellow at the Henry L. Stimson Center. “I am not in a capacity to comment on Taiwan’s domestic affairs,” he added, “but in terms of its foreign diplomacy, this will not result in any negative impact on U.S.-Taiwan relations in the long run.”

Romberg acknowledged there were strong protests by the public over U.S. beef imports into South Korea more than a year ago. However, relations between the U.S. and South Korea have gradually warmed up and President Lee Myung-bak has seen his approval ratings improve.

Another panelist, Nancy Tucker, history professor at Georgetown University, admitted she was queasy about purchasing ground beef in U.S. supermarkets, but said Taiwan had to relax its ban on U.S. beef imports if it wants to ink an FTA with Washington.

“This is inevitable. Beef is not the only issue on the negotiation table. If it is not dealt with, Taiwan will never sign an FTA,” Tucker noted.

Some scholars present at the conference offered further insights on U.S.-Taiwan ties. Taiwan is the seventh largest overseas market for U.S. agricultural exports. In terms of per capita consumption, Taiwan is ranked number two for American agricultural products.

According to the panelists, agreements on agricultural goods would help establish consensus on other trade issues, such as the resumption of talks on the long-stalled Trade and Investment Framework Agreement.

One expert concluded as Taiwan is hoping to sign an economic cooperation framework agreement with mainland China soon, securing FTAs with other countries would be of great significance, and so recommended looking at U.S. beef imports from a broader perspective. (LC-THN)