TAIPEI (Kyodo) — Taiwan has expressed its position on China’s recent decision to evaluate the suspension of tariff concessions on additional Taiwanese imports. This follows China’s earlier move to eliminate preferential tariffs on a selection of chemical products from Taiwan at the beginning of the year.
The Chinese Commerce Ministry announced on Tuesday that it is contemplating the suspension of preferential tariff rates on various Taiwanese imports, including auto parts, textiles, and products from the agricultural, fishery, and machinery sectors. This consideration arises under the framework of a bilateral free trade agreement between the two parties.
In response, Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry has emphasized the importance of addressing trade issues between Taiwan and China within the context of the World Trade Organization (WTO) mechanisms, noting that both are members of the WTO. The ministry has voiced concerns over unilateral measures taken by Beijing.
From Beijing’s perspective, the Taiwan government, currently led by the Democratic Progressive Party, is seen as having implemented “unilateral and discriminatory trade restrictions” against China, which have not been lifted.
Last month, the Chinese ministry stated that its investigations found Taiwan had barred a total of 2,509 import products from mainland China as of late November.
The political backdrop to these economic interactions includes the separate governance of China and Taiwan since their split in 1949 due to a civil war. The issue of economic measures and their implications continues to be a significant aspect of the relationship between Communist-led China and self-ruled Taiwan.
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