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🇹🇼 Taiwan /Economy & Trade

Yunlin Magistrate Defends Farmers' Rights Amid Trade Deal Criticism

From Liberty Times · (12m ago) Chinese Mixed tone

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Yunlin County Magistrate Chang Li-shan criticized the US-Taiwan Agricultural Products Trade Agreement, calling it detrimental to local farmers.
  • Minister of Agriculture Chen Chi-chung stated that such criticism is 'singing a song of decline' for Taiwan and that farmers are not easily swayed by political manipulation.
  • Chang retorted that defending farmers' rights is her duty as a county leader and urged the minister not to politicize the issue, but to stand with farmers.

Yunlin County Magistrate Chang Li-shan has strongly refuted accusations of 'singing a song of decline' for Taiwan, asserting that her vocal defense of farmers' rights is a matter of duty. The controversy erupted following the signing of the US-Taiwan Agricultural Products Trade Agreement (ART), which Chang criticized as 'destroying agriculture' due to the zero-tariff import of US peanuts. She argued that this places local farmers at a severe disadvantage.

defending farmers' rights is her duty

— Chang Li-shanYunlin County Magistrate, responding to criticism about her stance on the US-Taiwan trade agreement.

Minister of Agriculture Chen Chi-chung countered that Chang's statements were politically motivated and aimed at sensationalizing agricultural issues, asserting that farmers are discerning and not easily manipulated. However, Chang retorted that her actions are not about electioneering but about safeguarding the interests of farmers in a major agricultural county. She expressed regret that the Minister of Agriculture did not prioritize defending farmers' rights, allowing agriculture to become a bargaining chip in trade negotiations.

singing a song of decline for Taiwan

— Chen Chi-chungMinister of Agriculture, criticizing Chang Li-shan's remarks about the trade agreement.

Chang emphasized that her stance is consistent, having repeatedly urged against using agriculture as a bargaining chip and sacrificing farmers' livelihoods. She stressed that farmers are primarily concerned with market access and fair prices for their produce. The county magistrate called on Minister Chen to stand in solidarity with farmers, to act as their advocate, and to ensure stable incomes, rather than allowing them to be repeatedly marginalized.

farmers are not so easily incited.

— Chen Chi-chungMinister of Agriculture, expressing confidence in farmers' ability to discern political manipulation.

From our perspective at Liberty Times, the Minister's response appears to downplay legitimate concerns raised by a local leader representing a significant agricultural constituency. While political discourse can sometimes be heated, the core issue remains the protection of our farmers' economic well-being. We believe the Ministry of Agriculture should prioritize these concerns and engage constructively with local leaders, rather than dismissing their advocacy as mere political maneuvering. The agricultural sector is a vital pillar of Taiwan's economy and identity, and its prosperity should not be undermined.

Why is there anything wrong with speaking up for farmers?

— Chang Li-shanYunlin County Magistrate, defending her criticism of the trade agreement.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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