Taiwan's trade restrictions against China ruled to be 'trade barriers'

Taipei, Dec. 15 (CNA) Taiwan's restrictions on the import of more than 2,000 products from China have been determined by Beijing to be "trade barriers," China's Ministry of Commerce said in a statement Friday.

The Chinese ministry said the decision was made after an investigation into potential trade barriers, which began on April 12, related to a ban imposed by Taiwan on imports of Chinese products.

The investigation, launched in response to requests by several Chinese chambers of commerce, was aimed at determining whether Taiwan's existing measures to ban the imports of 2,455 products from China (as of April) constituted trade barriers.

There was no indication of what China might do in response to its judgment. China's Taiwan Affairs Office said after the decision was announced that it backed the ruling and supported having relevant agencies decide on possible measures based on existing regulations.

The announcement of the investigation's conclusion on Friday came nearly one month earlier than the Jan. 12 deadline.

Originally, the deadline was set for Oct. 9 but was extended for three more months due to the "complication of the case."

The new Jan. 12 deadline was one day before Taiwan's presidential and legislative elections, sparking concerns that whatever China did, it would use the investigation and its outcome to try to influence Taiwanese voters.

Update

Dec. 15: Taiwan wants trade disputes with China to be handled under WTO framework