The DPP's Head in the Sand Policy on US Beef Imports

The DPP's Head in the Sand Policy on US Beef Imports 
United Daily News editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
May 24, 2012

Summary: In his inaugural speech, President Ma clearly designated Kaohsiung as a "Free Economy Demonstration Zone." The DPP should not oppose him. It should join him. The Kaohsiung Free Economy Demonstration Zone can become a pilot program. We can join TIFA and the TPP, We can turn Taiwan into a "Free Economic and Trade Island." If the Democratic Progressive Party returns to power one day, it can then "accept responsibility in toto." Just as when the Democratic Progressive Party declared that if it returns to power it will "accept ECFA, in toto."

Full Text below:

Wu Shu-cheng once criticized Chao Chien-ming as "an eel with his head in the sand, with no idea where to run." This characterization could be applied to the DPP on the issue of US beef imports.

For the DPP, U.S. beef imports involves at least five issues. One. Food safety. Two. Impact on local industry. Three. The Taiwan-US Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA). Four. The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP). Five. The Chen regime and the credibility of the DPP in the eyes of the US.

Take food safety. Cigarettes and betel nuts are commercially available. They pose health risks. Meanwhile not a single instance of poisoning from beef containing Ractopamine has ever been recorded, anywhere in the world. Japan, Korea and other nations have agreed to allow US beef imports providing they are clearly marked as such. Take the impact on local industry. The United States has pledged to treat pork and beef separately. That means pig farmers on Taiwan will not be affected. The DPP knows this. So why does it continue to oppose US beef imports? Perhaps it thinks it can exploit the issue by inciting mob sentiment. But doing so means forfeiting all claim to being a rational decision-maker.

Washington considers beef imports a scientific issue. Washington regards the DPP's refusal to allow US beef imports as an economic and trade issue. As a result it has broken off talks on TIFA. That is because TIFA is also an economic and trade issue. If talks on TIFA fail to go forward, forget about talks on TPP. For Taiwan, TIFA is an FTA of critical, landmark significance. If talks on TIFA are successful, they will dramatically upgrade political and economic relations between Taipei and Washington. They will help Taipei negotiate other types of FTAs. More importantly, if talks on TIFA fail, we can forget about joining the US-led TPP. The importance of the TPP for Taiwan's political and economic future requires no comment.

The DPP opposes U.S. beef imports. The ultimate impact is to kill TIFA, which in turn kills the TPP. South Korean President Lee Myung-bak said "FTAs are not a political issue. They are a survival issue." What the DPP is doing, is to kill TIFA, kill TPP, and thereby endangering Taiwan's survival.

The most important issue for the DPP is its credibility in the eyes of the United States. The United States has openly reminded the DPP that the Chen Shui-bian administration promised to allow US beef imports, but his successor Tsai Ing-wen reneged. Interim DPP chairman Chen Chu has made matters even worse. She depicts U.S. beef as poison that is killing the Taiwanese people. The new DPP chairman, to be chosen by the end of the month, apparently intends to fight the US to the bitter end. As a result, the DPP now has a vendetta against the United States over US beef imports.

As mentioned before, there has never been a single case of Ractopamine treated beef poisoning anywhere in the world. Beef and pork are being handled separately. Furthermore, US beef will be clearly marked as such. There is no reason to obstruct U.S. beef imports. Japan, South Korea, and a hundred other countries have adopted the same policy. Under the circumstances, opposition to US beef imports is opposition to TIFA. It is opposition to TPP. This is not a political issue, This is a survival issue.

The DPP must allow Taiwan to survive. Four years ago, the DPP opposed ECFA. It accused President Ma of "forfeiting sovereignty and demeaning the nation." and of "pandering to (Mainland) China and selling out Taiwan." But four years later, the DPP is singing a different tune. It now says it "accepts ECFA in toto." The DPP needs to realize that if it ever returns to power, it must accept TIFA, FTAs and the TPP. Without them Taiwan cannot survive. Therefore in order to ensure Taiwan's survival, the DPP must not obstruct U.S. beef imports, TIFA, and the TPP. Instead it should encourage the Ma administration to seize the moment and implement these measures ASAP. Then if the DPP ever returns to power, it can "assume responsibility in toto." Otherwise, it may miss the opportunity, If the DPP returns to power then, Taiwan may already be terminal.

The DPP cannot possibly be that short-sighted. When it was in power, it argued, "Whose skirts are we going to hide behind, if not the United States'?" Now that it is out of power, it dismisses even TIFA and TPP as sour grapes. When it is in power, it wants Taiwan to survive. When it is out of power, it no longer cares whether Taiwan lives or dies. A political party like this cannot win our allies' trust. Beijing will soon discover its Achilles Heel. The public on Taiwan will see through its lies. Such behavior is short-sighted opportunism. This is not the way a political party that intends to be around long term ought to conduct itself.

The DPP is currently out of power. It longs to return to power. It must not champion the petrochemical industry when it in power, only to seek to destroy it when it is out of power. Otherwise, if the DPP returns to power one day, Taiwan's petrochemical industry will already be devastated. U.S. beef imports have been dealt with. Food safety, Industry influence, and truth in labeling have been as well. The DPP has no reason to oppose U.S. beef imports, TIFA, and the TPP. Opposing them will have lethal consequences for Taiwan. The DPP should not rub salt in the wound. It should not lick blood from the knife. It should not think only about exploiting mob sentiment. It should consider the future of the Democratic Progressive Party. It should consider how Taiwan can survive. It should not oppose Ma, denounce Ma, and ignore Taiwan's future, Isn't Taiwan's future the DPP's future as well?

Out of concern for the nation, we would like to offer the DPP three well-intentioned warnings. One, Stop demagoguing the "one country, two regions" issue. Even Beijing accepts "Taiwan's long held basic position regarding the legal aspects of cross-strait relations." All the DPP needs to do is uphold the ROC Constitution. Why should it voluntarily shred the constitution? Two. The DPP must mend fences with the United States. It must restore mutual trust. It must not seek a vendetta against the United States. Three. Do not obstruct TIFA and the TPP. Do everything to realize them. In short, forsake blind hatred of Mainland China, opposition to the United States, liberalization, and globalization will merely destroy Taiwan. The DPP must not act like "an eel with his head in the sand, who doesn't know where to run."

The Ma administration vowed to ensure food safety, minimize the impact on local industry, and truthfully label US beef imports as such. It has fulfilled its duty.  It should now turn around and ask the DPP why it is using U.S. beef imports to obstruct TIFA? It should ask the DPP whether it is willing to be answerable to the public for delaying or even killing TIFA?

In his inaugural speech, President Ma clearly designated Kaohsiung as a "Free Economy Demonstration Zone." The DPP should not oppose him. It should join him. The Kaohsiung Free Economy Demonstration Zone can become a pilot program. We can join TIFA and the TPP, We can turn Taiwan into a "Free Economic and Trade Island." If the Democratic Progressive Party returns to power one day, it can then "accept responsibility in toto." Just as when the Democratic Progressive Party declared that if it returns to power it will "accept ECFA, in toto."

民進黨美牛政策：蓋頭鰻不知生死門
【聯合報╱社論】
2012.05.24 02:22 am

吳淑珍曾指趙建銘是「蓋頭鰻不知生死門」。這句話現在可用在民進黨頭上，說的是美牛政策。

就民進黨而言，美牛政策至少牽涉五個層次：一、食品安全；二、產業衝擊；三、ＴＩＦＡ（台美貿易及投資架構協定）；四、ＴＰＰ（跨太平洋夥伴協議）；五、扁政府及民進黨對美國的誠信。

就食品安全言，市售的香菸、檳榔尚有健康風險，但舉世迄今查無一名因食用萊克多巴胺牛肉而中毒的病例，韓日等國因此同意在明白標示後上架；關於產業衝擊，則美方已承諾「牛豬分離」，意謂台灣的豬農不受影響。有了以上的認知，民進黨反美牛，或許可煽動及利用民間的情緒，但失去了理性決策的立場。

在美方所說的「科學」前提下，不容美牛進口，被美國視之為「經貿問題」，於是停斷了ＴＩＦＡ的談判，因為ＴＩＦＡ也是「經貿問題」；而ＴＩＦＡ若談不成，自更不用說未來ＴＰＰ的磋商了。尤其，ＴＩＦＡ是台灣關鍵性、指標性的「類ＦＴＡ」，若談得成，非但台美的政經關係得以巨幅提升，對於台灣其他「類ＦＴＡ」談判亦必有助益；更重要的是，倘若談不成ＴＩＦＡ，就更別奢望能進入美國主導的ＴＰＰ，而ＴＰＰ對台灣未來政經發展之重要尤是不言可喻。

民進黨反對美牛，其終極效應就是封殺ＴＩＦＡ，就是封殺ＴＰＰ。如韓國總統李明博說：「ＦＴＡ不是政治問題，而是生存問題。」民進黨現在做的，就是在阻擋ＴＩＦＡ，阻擋ＴＰＰ，就是觸及了台灣的「生存問題」。

對民進黨自身關係最大的，則是與美國之間的誠信互動。美國方面公開宣告，陳水扁政府曾對開放美牛有承諾，但接著在蔡英文主席任內卻食言，如今到了陳菊任內更是變本加厲，將美牛指為鴆殺台灣人的毒藥，且看樣子月底將出爐的新主席也將與美國硬幹到底。如此一來，民進黨豈不因美牛問題而與美國成了「世仇」？

如前所述，如果舉世查無萊劑牛肉中毒之例，且採「牛豬分離政策」，再加上標示嚴管，即無阻擋美牛的理由，至少日韓等百餘國均持此類政策立場。在這種情況下，反美牛，就是反ＴＩＦＡ，就是反ＴＰＰ；這就不是政治問題，而是生存問題。

民進黨必須為台灣留一條活路。回顧四年前，民進黨反ＥＣＦＡ，指為喪權辱國、傾中賣台；但四年後，民進黨竟靦顏改稱「概括承受ＥＣＦＡ」。民進黨應知，民進黨若要再執政，也非要走向ＴＩＦＡ、ＦＴＡ及ＴＰＰ不可，捨此台灣絕無生路；因而，為台灣的生存計，民進黨不可用美牛來阻擋ＴＩＦＡ、ＴＰＰ，反而應該敦促馬政府利用寶貴的時機，早日進行；如此，倘待民進黨另日執政，尚可「概括承受」其成果；否則，若錯失時機，民進黨即使再執政，台灣亦恐已不可為矣。

民進黨不可再如此短視。執政時宣示「不抱美國大腿抱誰的」，下野卻連ＴＩＦＡ、ＴＰＰ也不屑一顧。這種執政時想要台灣活，下野後卻不顧台灣死活的政黨，不會獲得盟友的信任，極易被北京掐住罩門，也必會被台灣人民看破手腳。這是短線操作，不是一個永續經營的政黨所應為。

民進黨在野要想到仍有回朝時。不能在朝大力推動石化業，在野又反過來大力摧毀石化業，如此，待民進黨另日回朝執政，台灣的石化業已受重創。同理，當美牛在食品安全、產業影響及標示嚴管等皆得到對應處理，民進黨即沒有理由再以美牛去卡住ＴＩＦＡ及ＴＰＰ，因為那對台灣會有致命性的後果。民進黨不宜再有傷口灑鹽、刀口舔血的操作，不能只見到當前「民氣可欺」，要想到未來民進黨及台灣將如何活下去；亦即不能只知反馬嗆馬，不問台灣的未來，難道台灣的未來不是民進黨的未來？

憂時憂國，我們願對民進黨提出三個善意的警告：一、不要再狂打「一國兩區」，如果連北京都接受這是「長期以來台灣在法律層面對兩岸關係所持基本態度」，則只要固守中華民國憲法即可，何必自毀憲法？二、民進黨與美國之間的誠信關係必須修補重建，不要與美國成為「世仇」；三、ＴＩＦＡ、ＴＰＰ不要阻擋，應全力促成。總之，一味仇中反美及反自由化、全球化，那是毀台傷國之舉，民進黨不可做不知死活的蓋頭鰻。

至於馬政府，倘若確認食品安全、產業衝擊與標示嚴管皆已盡到最大可能的治理責任；則應回過頭來請教民進黨，為何仍要以美牛卡住ＴＩＦＡ？民進黨願不願對ＴＩＦＡ之遲誤或破局向台灣人民負責？

馬總統在就職演說中，明白標舉將以高雄為「自由經濟示範區」；民進黨切勿反對，而應共襄盛舉。如果能以高雄「自由經濟示範區」為試點，加入ＴＩＦＡ、ＴＰＰ，進而將台灣建設為「自由經濟貿易島」；則另日民進黨執政，即可「概括承受」，一如民進黨宣示若執政將「概括承受」ＥＣＦＡ。