Medical and Hospital News
TAIWAN NEWS
Taiwan accuses China of 'economic coercion' over tariffs move
Taiwan accuses China of 'economic coercion' over tariffs move
by AFP Staff Writers
Taipei (AFP) Dec 21, 2023

Taiwan accused China on Thursday of election interference and deploying "classic economic coercion" after Beijing slapped fresh tariffs on certain products from the island in a retaliatory trade measure.

Taiwan will hold a presidential election next month in a contest dominated by the self-ruled island's relations with Chinese leadership.

Beijing's decision to add tariffs comes after its Commerce Ministry announced last week that an investigation launched in April had concluded Taiwan's restriction on over 2,000 products from the mainland constituted a trade "barrier".

Twelve products from Taiwan -- including chemicals used in the plastics industry -- will see their tariff concessions suspended from January 1, 2024, said China's Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council on Thursday.

"Taiwan has unilaterally adopted discriminatory bans, restrictions and other measures on the export of mainland products," violating the Cross-Strait Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement, it said in a statement.

"We hope Taiwan will take effective measures to lift trade restrictions on the mainland," the commission said, without elaborating.

Taipei and Beijing signed the milestone cross-strait deal in 2010, a sweeping agreement to ease tariff restrictions and boost trade.

An official at Taiwan's international trade administration said Thursday that most of the 12 products would see tariffs raised to one or two percent, from zero, under a WTO member country rate.

Taiwan's Office of Trade Negotiations described the tariffs -- as well as the Chinese Commerce Ministry investigation -- as "classic economic coercion".

The office said Beijing's move was "not in line with international norms" but estimated the damage to Taiwan should be "controllable".

"All authorities have been instructed to continue to make full preparations for the risks and damages in this case... and to assist the industry not to over-rely on a single market," it said in a statement.

The office also said the Chinese investigation on trade barriers was "unfair, non-open and non-transparent".

"If China is sincere, the two sides can initiate negotiations at any time in accordance with the World Trade Organisation mechanism to jointly face and resolve trade disputes," it added.

Beijing has ramped up military, diplomatic and economic pressure on Taiwan in recent years.

China claims the island as its territory to be seized one day, by force if necessary.

Taipei's Ministry of Foreign Affairs also condemned Beijing's tariffs move Thursday, calling it a "blatant attempt to interfere in Taiwan's elections", set for January 13.

Related Links
Taiwan News at SinoDaily.com

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
TAIWAN NEWS
China vows countermeasures after latest US arms sales to Taiwan
Beijing (AFP) Dec 18, 2023
China vowed on Monday to "take countermeasures" against companies involved in arms sales to Taiwan after the United States approved a $300-million deal to beef up the self-ruled island's defences. China views Taiwan as part of its territory and has pledged to seize it one day, while the US Congress requires the supply of weapons to the self-governing democracy for its defence. The US State Department last week approved an arms package that both sides said would strengthen Taipei's joint battle ... read more

TAIWAN NEWS
Survivors brave freezing cold after China quake kills 131

Hundreds of aid trucks enter Gaza through Rafah, Kerem Shalom crossings

Organisers of deadly 2021 China ultramarathon sentenced to jail

Radioactivity detected in Fukushima worker's nose

TAIWAN NEWS
Airbus presents first flight model structure for Galileo Second Generation

Galileo Gen2 satellite production commences at Airbus facility

Galileo Second Generation satellite aces first hardware tests

PASSport project testing

TAIWAN NEWS
To counter effect of facial biases in legal system, researchers suggest new training

Smoking shrinks brain, says study linking cigarettes to Alzheimer's, dementia

Wild birds analyze grunts, whistles made by human honey-hunters

Languages are louder in the tropics

TAIWAN NEWS
A new force of nature is reshaping this planet

US-Mexico border wall threatening rare wildlife

Singapore bids farewell to China-bound panda cub

Climate change, human activity add nearly 2,000 species to threatened list

TAIWAN NEWS
Chinese laud 'great' Gao Yaojie, dissident doctor and AIDS whistleblower

Cholera claims 23 lives in Ethiopia: charity

Climate change could upturn world malaria fight: WHO

Suffering from flu, Pope Francis cancels COP28 trip

TAIWAN NEWS
China blasts UK, US 'malicious intentions in messing up Hong Kong'

China arrests former top bank official for bribery

Philippines deports 180 Chinese detained in anti-trafficking raid

China blasts UK's 'malicious intentions' after Cameron meets Hong Kong dissident

TAIWAN NEWS
Australian, American charged with running crypto Ponzi scheme

Bitzlato founder pleads guilty to running 'criminal' US crypto exchange

US detained five who boarded tanker off Yemen: Pentagon

The fallen kings of crypto

TAIWAN NEWS
Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.