[lorten]

Taiwan's U.S. Beef
Taipei's reversal on a trade deal with Washington has little to do with science.

Mad cow disease has claimed another victim: Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou, who was for free trade in beef, until he was against it. Chalk the decision up to a political infection.

Scientists long ago proved that almost all U.S. beef is safe from the disease. Mr. Ma's administration and the one before it conducted independent tests and came to the same conclusion. In October, the Ma government signed a bilateral agreement that lifted all import bans on U.S. meat—a $128 million market and big step forward for re-establishing trust in an important trade relationship.

The legislative yuan partially reversed that decision Tuesday after the Taiwanese public, fanned by the opposition Democratic Progressive Party, took to the streets with concerns over U.S. beef. Yet instead of standing by the science and asking his cabinet to send the measure back to the legislature (the Taiwanese veto equivalent), Mr. Ma let the decision stand, saying he "respected" the legislative decision. Mr. Ma didn't have a lot of room to maneuver because the legislature passed the bill unanimously, but he could have spoken against the bill as irresponsible.

The health of the U.S.-Taiwan trade relationship is the real cause for worry. The U.S. is Taiwan's third-largest trading partner. The beef dispute has already delayed trade talks scheduled in for February. Taiwan's minister of economic affairs said Tuesday that progress toward a broad bilateral free-trade agreement would be impeded by the delay. Congressmen Max Baucus (D., Mont.) and Chuck Grassley (R., Iowa), from big beef-producing states, have also voiced worries about the move, ensuring that it will become a U.S. political concern.

The legislature's rejection of science-based trade standards also sets a bad precedent for future negotiations with the U.S. and other trade partners. If Taipei can ban beef that it's already deemed safe, what else can it ban on a whim?

Mr. Ma would have done better to stand up for the agreement his administration signed, however unpopular that move might have been. That's what South Korean president Lee Myung-bak did in 2008, even when protests over U.S. beef nearly derailed his presidency. Mr. Ma's policy reversal has only confirmed critics who accuse him of lacking leadership—a high price to pay for a political beef.

http://online.wsj.co...1733189276.html

[lorten]

This is not nationalism. One of the Simpson’s episodes this season has exemplified the low faith among people on American beef. Even though it is published by Fox which WSJ may not appreciate, but it really tells people something. The interests between agricultural conglomerates and the public has have such a huge gap. US government shall demonstrate its gut to well administer its agricultural exports which has been notorious since ever, although this trade talk has little to do with science.

本篇文章已被 lorten 於 06 January 2010 - 11:54 PM 編輯過

[Ericp]

引用框（lorten ＠ Jan 7 2010, 07:39 AM）

Mr. Ma's policy reversal has only confirmed critics who accuse him of lacking leadership—a high price to pay for a political beef.

Above sentance is the only part in this article that makes sense to me.

In this issue, it not beef that matters but the cattle viscus that worries Taiwanese.
What Taiwan government put ban on was cattle viscus, not American beef.
Even Americans themselves seldem use cattle viscus in food.
But that's what Washington intends to export to Taiwan.
How could Americans prove somthing safe in food that they don't dare to fill their stomachs with?
I'm afraid Washington has to elaborate on what it calls "science".

In this case, Washington is only right about one thing. Ma is lacking leadership.
The whole deal is a mistake from the very beginning.

本篇文章已被 Ericp 於 07 January 2010 - 01:46 AM 編輯過