New Taiwanese Envoy to Japan Positive to Lift Food Import Ban

Taipei, June 6 (Jiji Press)--Taiwan's de facto ambassador to Japan took on Monday a positive stance on the lifting of import regulations on Japanese foods. In an interview with Jiji Press and other media organizations, Frank Hsieh, the newly appointed head of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Japan, said it is unreasonable to ban foods from Fukushima forever. Asked when Taiwan will remove the ban, Hsieh pointed to a need to scrutinize data on food over the past five years. Taiwanese authorities banned imports of Japanese foods from five northeastern Japan prefectures including Fukushima immediately after the March 2011 meltdowns at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.'s <9502> disaster-crippled Fukushima No.1 nuclear power plant. In March 2015, after false origin labelling of foods from the five prefectures came into light, regulations were made even tighter. Meanwhile, on Taiwanese authorities' claim that Okinotorishima, Japan's southernmost island, is a rock, Hsieh said Taipei will respect the decision of an international organization, emphasizing a difference in stance from the former administration of Ma Ying-jeou. He also said he did not agree with the Ma administration's sending of a warship to waters near Okinotorishima to protect Taiwanese fishers. Hsieh is scheduled to arrive in Japan on Thursday. END