People on the Taiwan island protest against the lifting of restrictions on the import of US pork containing ractopamine feed additive in Taipei on November 22, 2020. Photo: AFP

The preliminary results of the "four referendums" held on Taiwan island were announced Saturday night. The "disagree" votes of the four referendums all exceeded those of "agree." The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authority loudly celebrated its "grand victory," but this cannot hide the truth that they have betrayed the interests of the people of Taiwan.  

In the "referendums" initiated by the local residents, the subjects include whether to ban the import of US pork containing ractopamine, whether to protect an algal reef where authorities want to build a liquefied national gas terminal, whether to reactivate a nuclear power plant, and whether future referendums should be held at the same time as elections for public office. The first three questions deal with food safety, environmental protection and energy supply, while the final question is related to reducing election costs, all of which are crucial issues impacting the livelihoods of people on the island. However, in recent months, the DPP authority has set aside the vital interests of the residents of Taiwan and led the island in a mess with its massive political mobilization. They have even deceived the residents of Taiwan by vilifying the Chinese mainland and creating a type of "anti-mainland populism."

In particular, the attitude of the DPP authority in terms of the import of ractopamine pork has most thoroughly exposed its willingness to embrace the US at the expense of people's health, and to give anything to foreign powers.

Anyone with basic scientific knowledge is aware that ractopamine is harmful to human beings and may trigger heart palpitations and cardiovascular diseases. At present, more than 160 countries and regions across the world have banned ractopamine, and the Chinese mainland and the European Union have refused to import foods containing ractopamine. When the DPP was not the ruling party, it resolutely opposed the import of ractopamine pork. But after it came to power, it immediately became a staunch defender of ractopamine treated pork. This extremely abrupt change makes things clearer - whether resolutely opposing or defending a position, the DPP only considers politics and does not care about food safety.

The repeated stance of top DPP officials including its leader Tsai Ing-wen and head of Taiwan's executive body Su Tseng-chang can be summed up in one sentence: If people of the island do not have ractopamine treated pork, Taiwan will be over. They have fabricated all kinds of ridiculous logic, saying that if "the import of ractopamine pork fails to pass," Taiwan's economy "will return to the plight of being locked in China" and "Taiwan will be annexed by China." The DPP politicians are good at playing tricks and creating strawmen. Ractopamine pork does not equal to pork of the US. Taiwan is a part of China. Where does the "annexation" come from? Isn't this insulting to the intelligence of the residents of the island?

In fact, the DPP authority has already exposed itself. "If the referendum passes, will Americans be angry?" This is the pivot of the problem! Therefore, even if the import of ractopamine pork endangers food safety of Taiwan, and even if residents don't want to bear this risk, as long as it is the request made by the "US dad," the DPP authority will make a 200 percent effort to achieve it. That "Americans are angry" has become an unbearable burden for the DPP, and it will try its utmost to avoid such a situation, including at the expense of ordinary people's interest.

Americans should not be angry with the result of these recent "referendums," but they will not be satisfied. In a bid to curry favor in Washington, the DPP has to constantly betray Taiwan's interests. Such a vicious circle is exactly its shame in acting as a pawn of the US.

We cannot have any illusions about the morality of the DPP, which "depends on the US for sake of independence." Since the launch of the "four referendums," the DPP has kept its eyes wide open, searching for clues of "Chinese mainland intervention" in order to create a political subject out of the "referendum." The Chinese mainland has certainly not given them any chance at all.

Facts have once again proven that, compared to the DPP which is busy making political calculations, as well as Washington, which only cares about interests and geopolitical competitiveness, it is the compatriots across the Taiwan Straits who really care about the livelihoods of people in Taiwan.  As the "referendums" failed to pass, toxic ractopamine pork is about to be put on the table of Taiwan families, and we cannot help but sigh.