Ahead of Taiwan protests, U.S. says pork ‘needlessly politicised’

Reuters
Date: December 21, 2020
By: Reuters Staff

TAIPEI (Reuters) – A heated debate in Taiwan about U.S. pork imports has been “needlessly politicised” as all U.S. food exports are safe, Washington’s de-facto embassy in Taipei said on Monday, ahead of two days of planned protests later in the week.

.President Tsai Ing-wen’s decision in August to allow imports of U.S. pork containing ractopamine, a leanness-enhancing additive banned in the European Union and China, has roiled Taiwan politics.

The main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party opposes the move on safety grounds, staging noisy protests and flinging pig entrails in parliament on one occasion. It has called for two days of protests outside parliament on Wednesday and Thursday.

The government says nobody will be forced to eat the pork and that the move brings Taiwan into line with international norms.    [FULL  STORY]