Clenbuterol: The Chen Administration's Dirty Little Secret

Clenbuterol: The Chen Administration's Dirty Little Secret
United Daily News editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
March 13, 2012

Summary: Some people insist on "zero clenbuterol and ractopamine." They see the Democratic Progressive Party say one thing while doing another. They think about all the meat they have eaten, and shudder. Some DPP leaders are still lambasting the Ma administration, accusing it of "selling out Taiwan." They need to take a hard look at the Chen administration's duplicity and capriciousness, then offer the public an explanation.

Full Text below:

The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) recently revealed that the Chen administration made a commitment to the U.S. government to establish standards for clenbuterol and ractopamine content, not the Ma administration. On August 16, 2007, the Chen administration informed the World Trade Organization (WTO) that it would announce its standards for clenbuterol and ractopamine content, effective August 22. So why did the Chen administration renege on its commitment only a few days later?

The answer lies in the events of August 21. On that day, during Chen Shui-bian's visit to diplomatic allies, he transited the US. But Washington allowed him into the US for only 90 minutes, and only in far-flung Alaska. His humiliation turned to apoplexy. Not one member of his entourage deplaned.

Insiders say this was Chen Shui-bian's ninth visit during his term of office. Yet Washington still refused him permission to transit the continental United States. Then suddenly, just days before his trip, he agreed to allow US beef imports containing clenbuterol and ractopamine. His condition was that the US would permit him to transit major cities in the continental United States. But Washington only allowed him to transit Alaska, and limited his time to 50 to 90 minutes. At first Chen Shui-bian tried to laugh this humiliating treatment off. But his humiliation soon turned to apoplexy. This led to the Alaskan mini-drama of refusing to deplane, as a gesture of protest. Needless to say, Chen reneged on his commitment to the WTO regarding clenbuterol and ractopamine.

The Democratic Progressive Party has been lambasting the Ma administration for the past several days, accusing it of "selling out Taiwan" and "selling out our citizens' health." But recall how the Chen Shui-bian administration dealt with U.S. beef imports. Recall its crude opportunism and unprincipled flip-flopping. That is why the current administration finds itself in such an embarrassing quandary regarding U.S. beef imports. So many of the current administration's problems are messes left over by its predecessor, the Chen administration. Chen Shui-bian's decision to allow the importation of US beef containing clenbuterol or ractopamine depended solely on whether Washington would extend him the diplomatic courtesy of transiting the continental United States -- one time. Then, when Chen's personal whims were frustrated, he could shred a commitment to the WTO overnight. Under the circumstances, what right does the DPP have talk about integrity and legitimacy?

The DPP's dirty little secret does not end there. Why did Taipei impose a total ban on clenbuterol and ractopamine? In 2006 people on the Mainland died as a result of ingesting food containing clenbuterol and ractopamine. The Chen regime wanted to show that Taiwan's food safety standards were superior to the Mainland's. It vowed to apply "the most stringent standards ever." Therefore in October of that year, Council of Agriculture Chairman Su Jia-chyuan issued an order banning all such additives. The source of the problem on the Mainland was the more toxic clenbuterol. But the Chen regime was already on its high horse. The less toxic ractopamine, the only additive permitted in the US, was also banned.

In other words, between 2006 and 2008, under Chen administration rule, the public was eating clenbutuerol and ractopamine treated beef. The irony is that although the Chen administration made a big to do of totally banning clenbuterol and ractopamine, its bark was worse than its bite. In response to pressure from the U.S. government, it refrained from subjecting meat imports to rigorous inspection, In July 2007, Kaohsiung Customs seized a large quantity of US pork containing ractopamine. This led to a public outcry. Only then did the government tighten inspections and conduct investigations. Only then did the Chen administration reveal that it was merely going through the motions.

Chen Shui-bian traded clenbuterol imports for transit privileges. Chen administration officials yielded to diplomatic pressure. it looked the other way when inspecting US meat imports. It used the U.S. beef imports issue as a bargaining chip in a political game. Yet the DPP still boasts that it is "looking after the public health." It still pointedly avoids talking about how it conducted inspections of US meat imports.

Even more staggering is how Chen Shui-bian unilaterally shredded his commitment to the United States and the WTO. He boasted that by banning clenbuterol and ractopamine, he was "loving the people, caring for the people." To cope with both internal and external pressures, he renewed his commitment to the United States, then secretly deceived the Taiwan public by going through the motions while inspecting US meats. According to former Health Department Director Yaung Chi-liang, this charade continued until 2010. Under the Ma administration the responsibility for meat inspection was transferred to a different agency. The government began checking for Illegal use of clenbuterol by domestic pig farmers. Only then did customs agents resume testing of US beef for clenbuterol and ractopamine. A few years ago, no one on Taiwan knew U.S. beef contained clenbuterol or ractopamine. Only when the events of last year unfolded in swift succession, did the public become aware of the Chen administration's dirty little secret,

In other words, under DPP rule, prior to the 2006 Chen Shui-bian administration ban, the public was ingesting meat treated with clenbuterol and ractopamine. Following the 2006 ban, the Chen administration never actually inspected US meats for clenbuterol and ractopamine. It merely went through the motions. While the Chen Shui-bian administration twiddled its thumbs, the people of Taiwan were ingesting clenbuterol and ractopamine treated beef and pork, in amounts hard to estimate. The Chen administration prohibited the import of meat treated with clenbuterol and ractopamine. Then when the time came to inspect meat imports for clenbuterol and ractopamine, the Chen administration merely went through the motions. The Chen administration was intentionally negligent and duplicitous. It treated clenbuterol and ractopamine as a bargaining chip a game of political intrigue.

Some people insist on "zero clenbuterol and ractopamine." They see the Democratic Progressive Party say one thing while doing another. They think about all the meat they have eaten, and shudder. Some DPP leaders are still lambasting the Ma administration, accusing it of "selling out Taiwan." They need to take a hard look at the Chen administration's duplicity and capriciousness, then offer the public an explanation.

扁政府藏在瘦肉精裡的祕密
【聯合報╱社論】
2012.03.13 03:01 am

美國在台協會日前揭露，是扁政府向美承諾訂定瘦肉精殘留標準，而非馬政府。扁政府在二○○七年八月十六日通報世貿組織（ＷＴＯ）要公告萊克多巴胺容許量，載明生效日期為八月廿二日；但為何扁政府竟在短短幾天內出爾反爾，吞掉了這項承諾？

答案就藏在八月廿一日。那天，陳水扁出訪過境美國，僅獲准在遙遠的阿拉斯加過境九十分鐘，他惱羞成怒，全體團員都未下飛機。

此事的內幕是：陳水扁任內的第九次出訪，欲過境美國本土卻遲遲無法獲得美方同意，遂在行前數日以同意開放美牛瘦肉精為條件，希交換美方同意他過境美國本土重要城市。但後來華府仍僅同意他過境阿拉斯加，時間則由五十分鐘增為九十分鐘。陳水扁對此屈辱待遇「見笑轉生氣」，遂在阿拉斯加上演了「拒下飛機」的抗議戲碼，當然也把給ＷＴＯ的承諾一併撕毀。

正當民進黨連日嚴厲批評馬政府「賣台」、「出賣國民健康」之際，回頭看看扁政府時代處理美牛問題的粗暴、投機和反覆，即可知今天台灣面對美牛的難堪處境，許多是扁政府留下的禍根。其實，陳水扁決定開放瘦肉精與否，只為交換一次外交禮遇；而通報ＷＴＯ的公文可因私欲未遂而一夕撕毀，民進黨還談什麼誠信與正當？

民進黨藏在瘦肉精裡的祕密，還不僅如此。台灣之所以全面禁用瘦肉精，是因為二○○六年中國大陸發生民眾食用含強毒瘦肉精豬肉致死案件，扁政府為展現台灣的食品安全優於大陸，誓言要用「最嚴格的標準」把關。因此，在農委會主委蘇嘉全主導下，在當年十月下令將所有瘦肉精列為禁止項目。當時大陸惹禍的瘦肉精，是毒性較強的「克倫特羅」；但在扁政府的高調下，毒性較弱、也是美國唯一准用的瘦肉精「萊克多巴胺」也被列為禁藥。

也就是說，在扁政府執政前期的二○○○年至二○○六年，國人其實一直在吃「合法」的「含萊牛肉」；但吊詭的是，扁政府雖然擺出全面封殺瘦肉精的姿態，實際卻是色厲內荏，未對進口肉品真正實施檢驗，以回應美國政府的壓力。直到二○○七年七月，高雄海關查獲大批美國「豬肉」含有萊劑，引起外界譁然，政府始表示要加強檢驗查緝，也才露出了扁政府「光說不練」的馬腳。

很明顯的，無論陳水扁要用開放瘦肉精來換取過境禮遇，或行政部門用檢驗放水來減緩外交壓力，均是將美牛問題當作政治權謀來操作。但至今民進黨卻還在以「照顧國民健康」來居功，對行政放水則避而不談。

更令人咋舌的是，陳水扁雖片面撕毀了對美及對世貿組織的承諾，對內仍在炫耀禁用瘦肉精的「愛民、顧民」立場；但為了應付內外壓力，後來仍對美承諾，暗中繼續採取「不檢驗」的欺民作法。根據衛生署前署長楊志良的說法，直到二○一○年，馬政府因為進口肉品檢驗職責移轉，加以國內查獲豬農違法使用瘦肉精，海關才又開始恢復檢驗美牛瘦肉精。前些年，台灣一直未聞美牛含瘦肉精的問題，直到去年才連續發生，祕密正在於此。

換句話說，在二○○六年扁政府立禁之前，國人在民進黨執政下一直吃瘦肉精；而在二○○六年扁政府全面禁用瘦肉精以來，其實也從未認真執行檢驗，亦即在扁政府打混期間，台灣民眾吃下肚的瘦肉精，包括牛、豬在內，已難以計數。禁止也是扁政府，放水也是扁政府。如此刻意的行政疏怠和欺瞞，其實就等於在用瘦肉精玩弄政治權謀而已。

那些堅決要求「零瘦肉精」的人，看看民進黨的說一套、做一套，想想自己吃下的肉類，一定會感到不寒而慄。那些還在疾言厲色譴責馬政府賣台的民進黨人，回首一瞥扁政府的表裡不一及反覆無常，能否給國人一個交代？