Council of Agriculture Minister Chen Chi-Chung has stated that the Taiwanese government does not have a double standard for China and New Zealand when responding to bans on Taiwanese fruit.
Chen stated that Beijing’s ban on imports of wax apples and custard apples from Taiwan was “unacceptable,” vowing to settle the dispute through the WTO should Beijing continue to ignore requests for trade negotiations. However, some people accused Chen of applying a different standard when Wellington in June banned imports of lychees and mangoes from Taiwan due to pest concerns. At that time he said that he “respected” the New Zealand government’s decision.
Those who have accused the government of having double standards are completely ignorant of regulations governing international trade, Chen wrote on Facebook. Rules governing exports and imports of animals and plants between two countries are stipulated through bilateral negotiations, he added.
Taipeitimes.com also quoted him as saying: “For example, we have agreed that lychees exported to New Zealand must be steamed at 46.5°C for 20 minutes. After we were notified about the pest concerns in June, both countries began to negotiate a solution to the issue. Exports of Taiwanese lychees and mangoes to New Zealand will resume once an agreement is reached.”
Photo source: En.wikipedia.org