Taiwan Opposition Loses Referendum On Tsai's Trade, Energy Policies

An opposition-backed referendum that challenged Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen's trade and energy policies was rejected by citizens who trickled out to vote on Saturday, Dec. 18, 2021, Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) reported.

Photo Insert: Tsai's administration has argued that rejecting pork imports will hamper Taiwan from joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

On a chilly day, only some 41 per cent of eligible voters went to the polls, data from the Central Election Commission showed. Among those who did vote, more were against the initiatives that were supported by the major opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT).

More than 4 million voters opposed initiatives to reverse a policy allowing the import of pork containing the feed additive ractopamine, to unseal a long-mothballed nuclear power plant and to relocate a LGN terminal under construction that could impact an algal reef.

Tsai's administration has argued that rejecting pork imports will hamper Taiwan from joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a global trading group.

Since taking office in 2016, Tsai has adjusted energy policies to phase out the use of nuclear power plants on the island by 2025. Tsai said the referendum showed people support her policies. "It's not about win or lose. It's about how our country will go in the future," Tsai said.

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