Will Tsai Allow US Pork Imports? Will Huang Kuo-chang Yield on STA?

Will Tsai Allow US Pork Imports? Will Huang Kuo-chang Yield on STA?

United Daily News Editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)

A Translation

January 5, 2016

Executive Summary:

US pork imports and cross-Strait agreements are merely preludes. Once Tsai Ing-wen is crowned, she will surely perform many more Szechuan opera style flip-flops in changing faces. A bill passed by a KMT majority in the legislature was smeared as a "backroom operation" by the DPP. But when the Green camp acquires a legislative majority and can do what it wants, that will be prettified as "assuming total responsibility." Once Ko Chien-min, who was involved in influence-peddling in a court case, is reelected, he will in all probability, as the Green camp's most senior legislator, be elected Speaker and lead the “legislative reform.”

Full Text Below:

During the two Presidential debates, Tsai Ing-wen released signals for slowing changing her policy positions. She has clearly made two policy changes. One. She now proposes to allow in US pork containing ractopamine residue, provided that they meet Japanese and Korean standards. Two. She now wants the Cross-Strait Agreement Oversight Bill be given top priority during the coming session of the legislature. That means that soon after the election, Tsai Ing-wen may permit US pork imports containing ractopamine residue, and Huang Kuo-chang may back passage of the STA.

For politicians to change their policy whenever they change roles is commonplace. As long as this sort of pragmatism serves the greater good, it is tolerable. But Tsai Ing-wen's ability to brazenly flip-flop in her policy position before changing roles, without batting an eyelash, is without peer. She has demonstrated the DPP's total lack of consistent principles. She has confirmed the truth of the adage, "Politics is the art of deceit." She has no qualms whatsoever about playing the public on Taiwan for fools.

Lest we forget, in mid-June 2012, the DPP demanded a zero tolerance policy for ractopamine laced US beef imports. It forcibly occupied the legislature podium for five days and four nights, to prevent ruling party legislators from approving their importation. Earlier that year, pig farmers traveled north to Taipei to fling pig manure at the Ma government in protest. DPP legislators joined their ranks and castigated the KMT for "selling out the health of the nation," and for "destroying Taiwan's hog industry." They demagogued the US beef and US pork imports issue for all they were worth. Now, however, Tsai Ing-wen, riding on the bandwagon, is slowly whirling herself. Have the DPP's past lamentations about the "health of the nation" and the "hog farmers' livelihood" been forgotten?

Objectively speaking, any public policy must weigh the pros and cons of the different parties. It must consider the larger interests of society and individuals, and arrive at a balanced solution. The solution may not please everyone. But it must be the solution most beneficial to society as a whole. It must do individuals the least harm. It must provide compensation or subsidies to victims, in order to be fair to all parties. Judge against this yardstick: the Ma government advocated permitting US beef imports according to international standards. It advocated delinking beef and pork. Its approach was correct. Unfortunately, the DPP was out for blood, and incited the public to obstruct the process.

Tsai Ing-wen's about-face on US pork imports is inconsistent and impossible to justify. Tsai Ing-wen now proposes to permit US pork imports, provided that they meet Japanese and South Korean standards. If this is a rational and pragmatic approach, then why did the DPP react as it did when the KMT advocated international standards for US beef imports? Why did the DPP adopt a policy of scorched-earth obstructionism? Why did the DPP accuse the Ma government of ignoring people's lives and health? Conversely, if the DPP's opposition and protests were justified, how can Tsai Ing-wen explain the DPP's double standards, and eat her words?

The STA and Cross-Strait Agreement Oversight Bill were stalled in the Legislative Yuan for nearly two years. The main reason was that the DPP, accusing the government of "backroom operations," mobilized students to stage protests and to occupy the legislature, and took advantage of the halo effect to continue their obstructionism. Were these bills so disastrous the DPP could not allow the ruling Kuomintang to pass them? If so, why has Tsai Ing-wen announced that they will be given top priority following the general election? Her deeds and words are diametrically opposed and totally inconsistent. How can one expect that the people will be able to tell which is the real Tsai Ing-wen?

Surely people have not forgotten Huang Kuo-chang, the “God of War” who led anti-STA protests during the Sunflower Student Movement. He is now running for a legislative seat, as New Power Party Chairman, with Tsai Ing-wen's full support. On the streets, Huang Kuo-chang is the vanguard of the anti-China, anti-STA movement. At home, his businessman father-in-law is a major investor in the Mainland. When his family has “gone west,” this is characterized as legitimate investment. But when others invest on the Mainland, they are excoriated for wreaking havoc on Taiwan and selling out Taiwan. What sort of logic is this?

The so-called “God of War” in the anti-STA movement, Huang Kuo-chang has now thrown his hat in the ring, and organized a “separate” political party, one that is colluding with the DPP. Clearly, the Sunflower Student Movement two years ago was nothing more than a flank for the Green camp, using students as camouflage. They have even formed a "Capital Alliance of Progress." Their next step is to stage a grand debut in the legislature. It is not hard to imagine that once Huang Kuo-chang, who led the Sunflower Student Movement opposition to the STA, enters the legislature, he is also likely to change his positions by responding to calls by Tsai Ing-wen for the passage of the STA and Cross-Strait Agreement Oversight Bill. We will have to wait and see.

US pork imports and cross-Strait agreements are merely preludes. Once Tsai Ing-wen is crowned, she will surely perform many more Szechuan opera style flip-flops in changing faces. A bill passed by a KMT majority in the legislature was smeared as a "backroom operation" by the DPP. But when the Green camp acquires a legislative majority and can do what it wants, that will be prettified as "assuming total responsibility." Once Ko Chien-min, who was involved in influence-peddling in a court case, is reelected, he will in all probability, as the Green camp's most senior legislator, be elected Speaker and lead the “legislative reform.”

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