Taiwan accuses China of election interference with trade probe

• Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has accused Beijing of seeking to meddle in Taiwan’s presidential election by launching an investigation into what China has described as trade barriers imposed by Taiwan. It said that the time frame in which the inspection will be carried out – from Apr. 12 to Oct. 12, 2023 or Jan. 12, 2024 if necessary – pointed to economic coercion that is politically motivated.
• The MAC’s comment came in response to the release of the preliminary results of an investigation into Taiwan’s use of the 1993 Regulations Governing Trade between the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area to ban imports of certain Chinese goods. Beijing had looked into what it alleged were trade barriers imposed by Taiwan on more than 2,455 Chinese products, and in its initial findings on Aug. 17 said that Taiwan was in breach of World Trade Organization (WTO) rules. It threatened to end preferential tariffs for select Taiwan goods under the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) as a potential retaliatory measure.

External Link : https://focustaiwan.tw/cross-strait/202308200013