Mainland hits out at Taiwan trade barriers

It's legitimate and reasonable for the Chinese mainland to investigate Taiwan's trade barriers against mainland products, a spokeswoman said on Wednesday, denouncing the island authorities' move to obstruct cross-Strait trade.

Zhu Fenglian, spokeswoman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, made the remarks after the mainland launched an investigation earlier this month into Taiwan's trade restriction measures.

Both sides of the Taiwan Strait are members of the World Trade Organization, and according to WTO rules, Taiwan should lift trade restrictions on the mainland, according to Zhu.

The mainland urged the island to fulfill its commitments, but Taiwan still unilaterally restricts more than 2,400 mainland products including agricultural produce, minerals, chemicals and textiles, among other products from entering, she said.

The Ministry of Commerce has decided to investigate Taiwan's trade barriers against the mainland in accordance with the principles of the WTO and relevant mainland regulations.

The mainland launched the investigation at the request of several organizations including the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Foodstuffs, Native Produce & Animal Byproducts, according to her.

Zhu emphasized that cross-Strait economic cooperation is crucial for Taiwan's economic development and facing the uncertainty of the global environment, Taiwan must firmly oppose industrial disconnection with the mainland.

Official statistics from the General Administration of Customs of China showed the total volume of import and export trade between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait decreased by 26.5 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of this year.

Data from the island also showed that Taiwan's exports decreased by 19.2 percent in the same period.

Zhu denounced the Democratic Progressive Party authorities for colluding with the United States to restrict cross-Strait trade.

The US is trying to maintain its dominance by undermining normal international economic and trade cooperation, particularly in the high-tech sector, and is forcing some countries and regions to contain the mainland's development, she said.

She also criticized the DPP's political nature of relying on the US for "independence", saying that it has sacrificed Taiwan's economy and people's livelihoods to pursue its selfish interests.

They have restricted cross-Strait trade while aligning with some Western forces by transferring some core advantageous industries of Taiwan, leading to slow economic growth, decreasing exports, rising prices and widening wealth gap on the island, she said.

The spokeswoman also slammed military contact between the US and the island after reports that the US military sent 200 officers to help train soldiers on the island and that 25 US arms contractors will visit the island in May.

Zhu said, "US arms dealers are accustomed to inciting conflicts and profiting from wars. The US government is also accustomed to sheltering them."

In the past six years under the DPP authorities, the island has spent $22 billion of Taiwan people's hard-earned money to buy weapons from the US, she said, adding that the move is not "protecting "but "destroying" the island.

zhangyi1@chinadaily.com.cn