China is threatening Taiwan with other trade measures after criticizing the president’s speech
A look at the city’s outlook as of Jan. 12, 2024, Taipei, Taiwan.
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China is studying other trade measures against Taiwan, the Ministry of Commerce said on Saturday, two days after Beijing made a speech by Taiwanese President Lai Ching-Te.
The Democratic Progressive Party, Taiwan’s ruling party, has never taken effective steps to remove “trade restrictions” from mainland China, the commerce ministry said in a statement on its official website.
“Currently, relevant departments are studying other measures based on the conclusions of the investigation of trade barriers from Taiwan (against China),” it added.
China, which considers democratic Taiwan its own country, hates Lai as a “separatist”. Lai and his government reject Beijing’s claims of sovereignty, saying only the people of Taiwan can decide their future.
On Thursday in his National Day speech, Lai said the People’s Republic of China has no right to represent Taiwan, but said the island is willing to work with Beijing to fight challenges such as climate change, striking a strong and conciliatory tone, which provoked anger. from China.
Saturday’s announcement from China’s commerce ministry could indicate tariffs or other forms of economic pressure against the island in the near future.
China’s Taiwan News Office, which on Thursday said Lai’s speech promoted “diverse views” and sparked conflict, responded to the announcement that the main reason for the trade dispute is that “DPP authorities” are stubbornly clinging to the status of ‘Taiwan independence’. “.
“The political base makes it difficult for cross-Strait trade disputes to be resolved through negotiations,” it added.
In May, China reinstated tariffs on 134 items it buys from Taiwan, after the Ministry of Finance in Beijing said it would suspend the approval of items under the trade agreement because Taiwan did not reciprocate.
The Cross-Strait Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) between China and Taiwan was first signed in 2010 and Taiwanese officials have told Reuters that China may pressure Lai by ending some of its preferred trade terms.
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