Photo: Courtesy of the Labor Party of Taiwan

The Labor Party, an opposition party on the Taiwan island, strongly condemned Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities’ move of signing the first agreement under the so-called “Initiative on 21st Century Trade” on June 1, which deliberately deceived the island’s residents with lies, according to a statement released by the Labor Party of Taiwan on Monday.
 
The DPP authorities didn’t make the negotiation progress public and there is no specific and detailed information of the impact of this agreement on the island’s economy, according to the Labor Party. The DPP authorities even falsely claimed that signing the deal was a stepping stone for the island to “join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP),” bragging that better relations with the US will be reached, to deceive the island’s residents with lies, the statement read.
 
However, residents from the island of Taiwan didn’t know that the deal was another contract which allowed US to dump farm and livestock products on the island, regardless of the interests of the residents, according to the statement.
 
In December 2020, the island of Taiwan has allowed imports of problematic US pork containing ractopamine, according to the local media reports.
 
The DPP authorities claimed that the contract was used to in exchange for the signing of the “FTA” and “joining the CPTPP,” however, no progress has been made so far, according to the statement.
 
In terms of agricultural and livestock products, the so-called agreement does not mention any inspection and quarantine of agricultural and livestock products or food safety issues. Instead, it facilitates entry process, which means more US farm and livestock products and processed foods will be dumped on the island, which will further harm food safety, the Labor Party said in the statement. “Why does the DPP authorities dare not make this clear to the entire island?”
 
“Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory,” a spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce said on June 2. The spokesperson said that China firmly opposes countries with which it has diplomatic relations conducting any form of official exchange with Taiwan island, including the negotiation and signature of economic and trade agreements that have sovereign implications or are official in nature.
 
China’s Foreign Ministry on June 2 once again slammed the US over its signing of the first part of the so-called “initiative” with the secessionist DPP authorities, and warned that all the consequences will be borne by Washington.
 
According to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, the “initiative” is just a US tool to rip Taiwan island off. “The DPP authorities, driven by the selfish separatist agenda, have no scruples to betray Taiwan compatriots and businesses’ interests or sell Taiwan away. By signing the agreement, they are offering Taiwan to the US on a plate,” Mao said.