Advertisement
Taiwan’s Tsai Ing-wen faces referendum over lifting ban on US ractopamine pork
- Opposition KMT has the public backing needed for a poll, expected to take place by August 28
- Decision to lift ban on imported meat containing the growth and leanness agent caused uproar, but ministers play down the claimed health risk
Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
18
Taiwan’s decision to allow imports of US pork containing growth and leanness agent ractopamine has triggered a political storm for Tsai Ing-wen, the island’s president, and her administration after a referendum was forced on the issue, set to be held within the next six months.
It could also harm the prospects of Tsai’s independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in next year’s local government elections, observers have said.
Tsai caught the public off guard by announcing in August the lifting of a ban – effective from last month – on importing US pork containing ractopamine and beef from cattle over 30 months old. It sparked an outcry, with consumers and hog farmers citing concerns over food safety and local pork prices, and tens of thousands of people marching in Taipei in November to oppose it.
Since August’s announcement, main opposition party the Kuomintang (KMT) has campaigned to hold a referendum about it, and it has gathered enough endorsements to mean the self-ruled island’s electoral commission will this month announce one, expected to take place by August 28.
02:04
Pig guts fly in Taiwan parliament protest over easing of restrictions on US pork imports
Pig guts fly in Taiwan parliament protest over easing of restrictions on US pork imports
The DPP, meanwhile, voted in December in the Taiwanese legislature to back Tsai’s decision.
Advertisement