Taiwan Mulls Suing China Before WTO Over Import Bans

Taiwan may take China to the World Trade Organization (WTO) after the country effectively banned the import of more Taiwanese food and drinks, Premier Su Tseng-chang said, as Beijing accused Taipei of "political manipulation," Ben Blanchard reported for Reuters.

Photo Insert: The latest bans cover more fishery products, chief among them squid, as well as some beers and liquors, which China has said is due to the Taiwanese companies not properly completing relevant paperwork.

Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, has complained for the past two years of Chinese import bans on various agricultural and aquatic goods, including pineapples and grouper fish, saying it is part of a Chinese pressure campaign.

The latest bans cover more fishery products, chief among them squid, as well as some beers and liquors, which China has said is due to the Taiwanese companies not properly completing relevant paperwork.

Speaking to reporters, Su said China was using administrative means to "interfere" in normal trade which is not in line with WTO norms. The government will do its best to communicate with relevant Chinese departments on the issue, he added.

"If there is any non-compliance with the relevant WTO norms, we will also follow the relevant channels to file a complaint." Taiwan and China are both WTO members.

In a statement late on Friday, China's Taiwan Affairs Office said the problem was an administrative one in that the affected companies were not properly registered and this was a "normal food safety supervision measure."

It said it hoped that Taiwanese companies will provide the information that meets government requirements as soon as possible.

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