Taiwan trade barriers investigated

Zhu Fenglian, spokeswoman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, expressed strong support on Saturday after mainland authorities said it was currently studying further measures based on the conclusions of the investigation into trade barriers with Taiwan.

The Ministry of Commerce said in December that the investigation indicated that Taiwan has long imposed trade restrictions on relevant products originating from the mainland, and the scope of mainland products that Taiwan forbids imports of has been expanding in recent years.

A spokesperson from the ministry said on Saturday that since the announcement of the results last year, the Democratic Progressive Party authorities have not taken any practical measures to lift trade restrictions on the mainland. Currently, relevant departments are considering further measures based on the conclusion of the trade barrier investigation regarding Taiwan.

Zhu said that "the responsibility for this situation lies entirely with Taiwan."

The direct cause is that the DPP authorities have not taken any improvement measures to lift trade restrictions on the mainland since the investigation began, she said.

The fundamental reason is that the DPP authorities persist in their stance of "Taiwan independence", refuse to acknowledge the 1992 Consensus, undermine the political foundation of cross-Strait negotiations, and make it difficult to resolve cross-Strait trade disputes through negotiation, she added.