왕싱난 민진당 대표가 대만정부의 미국산 쇠고기 수입 전면개방에 대해 국민의 건강에 대한 염려를 무시했다고 맹렬하게 비난했다는 소식입니다.

미국정부는 F16 전투기 구매 및 무역투자협정을 연계하여 대만정부에게 미국산 쇠고기 전면 개방 압력을 행사해왔다고 합니다.

2009년 대만에서도 대대적인 광우병 우려 미국산 쇠고기 반대 촛불시위가 일어날지도 모르겠습니다.

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Taiwan opposition pledges to halt US beef imports

출처 : 채널뉴스아시아 Posted: 25 October 2009 1924 hrs
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/1013636/1/.html#

TAIPEI: Taiwan’s opposition vowed Sunday to stop the government’s controversial decision to lift a ban on the import of US beef on the bone, imposed in 2003 amid fears over mad cow disease.

Wang Sing-nan, the Democratic Progressive Party’s parliamentary whip, lambasted the decision by the Kuomintang government, saying concerns for public health had been ignored.
“The decision was irresponsible… once such imports are done, it may have grave impacts on the people’s health,” he said.

The party threatened to boycott an upcoming parliamentary debate on the government’s budget for next year if the ban was not reimposed.

On Saturday Health Minister Yang Chih-liang offered to resign over the issue, one day after his department announced a decision that has outraged consumer rights advocates.

Presidential Office spokesman Wang Yu-chi said Sunday that the decision to lift the ban was “in the country’s interest,” without providing details.

Observers say Washington may have used the beef issue as a bargaining chip in its talks with Taipei over the purchase of dozens of US-made F-16 fighters as well as a framework trade and investment agreement.

Taiwan banned all US beef imports in December 2003 after reports of mad cow disease on the island but opened up to boneless beef imports in 2006.

Beef affected by the disease is feared to cause Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a human variant of mad cow disease.

- AFP/yb