At the Cabinet's weekly meeting Thursday, Premier Su Tseng-chang received a briefing regarding the government's response to China's import bans on many Taiwanese food, agricultural and fishery products. The premier said the government is doing everything in its power to help impacted producers and reduce harmful fallout from the ban, and has already established a task force to provide immediate guidance and assistance. The government is furthermore lodging complaints and protests via international channels, as well as continuing to promote the strategic diversification of agricultural export markets so as to lower dependence on a single market.
China has recently engaged in threatening and coercive behavior toward Taiwan, the premier said, holding military drills around our island that impinge upon the safety of the seas and skies of both Taiwan and nearby countries, as well as employing dishonest political justifications and methods to disrupt normal international trade. As a result of China's unreasonable behavior, disregard for international norms, and exploitation of politics to control all, more and more firms—whether Taiwanese or foreign—are leaving China and choosing to invest in Taiwan instead.
To reduce reliance on a single market, the government has in recent years been pushing a diversified market strategy for agricultural product exports, and the results have been clear, Premier Su said. For agricultural exports in the first half of 2022, Council of Agriculture statistics indicate that the United States became the largest export destination for the first time ever, while Japan came in second, and China dropped to third place.
Additionally, cold chain facilities have been helpful in extending the shelf life of fresh products, increasing their storage capacity, raising the flexibility of balancing production versus consumption, and expanding export sales. The government has therefore invested NT$12.6 billion (US$420.8 million) in building a nationwide cold chain system for agricultural, fishery and livestock products that will be completed in 2023.