This combined photo shows Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, and Taiwanese Vice President Lai Ching-te. (Central News Agency/Kyodo)
BEIJING (Kyodo) — China on Friday accused Taiwan of putting up trade barriers over imports such as Chinese farm and mineral products and indicated its readiness to take countermeasures about a month before the self-ruled democratic island holds a presidential election.
The release of a probe by the Chinese Commerce Ministry, first announced in April, is believed to reflect Beijing’s intention to put pressure on the independence-leaning Taiwan ruling party ahead of the Jan. 13 leadership poll.
The ministry said its survey has shown Taiwan prohibited a total of 2,509 import products from the mainland as of late November.
Zhu Fenglian, a spokeswoman for China’s State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, pointed out that the investigation showed the island’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party authorities have adopted “unilateral restrictions” on a large number of mainland products.
She said Taiwan’s trade barriers have damaged the interests of businesses on the mainland as well as Taiwan consumers and that mainland departments are mulling over “corresponding measures” in accordance with regulations.
Taiwan sharply reacted to China’s accusation, with its Mainland Affairs Council saying Beijing conducted “one-sided political manipulation” and Taipei cannot accept it.
DPP spokesman Chang Chih-hao urged China to “stop using economic means to coerce Taiwan,” in order to influence the island’s democratic elections and further undermine the peaceful development of cross-strait relations.
Mainland China and Taiwan have been governed separately since they split in 1949 following a civil war. Communist-led China aims to bring the democratic island under its control, by force if necessary.
