Premier demands Chinese apology over scare

"We will formally demand an apology to us by the mainland (Chinese) government" for the melamine-tainted dairy products imported from China that scared the people into panicking for their food safety, Premier Liu said in answer to a question on the Legislative floor.

Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker Li Chun-yi asked the premier what the administration would do in response to the damage done by the contaminated imports.

Melamine, a highly toxic chemical, is banned as a food and feed additive. It killed at least four children and sickened tens of thousands of others in China and found it way to Taiwan, to trigger the food scare, which has continued unabated.

Aside from making a formal demand for an apology, Premier Liu said, Taiwan is planning to ask China for compensation for the damage, which may total billions of dollars.

Food-processors, distributors and supermarket chain have suffered at least NT$8 billion in lost sales. They demand that the government help them get compensated by China.

"More data have to be collected before we start demanding compensation," Premier Liu said. The Straits Exchange Foundation and its Chinese counterpart Association for Relations across the Taiwan Strait will jointly act on Taipei's damage claim, he added.

Lai Shin-yuan, chairwoman of the Mainland Affairs Council, said the two quasi-government organizations charged with the conduct of relations between both sides of the Taiwan Strait will set up "a window" for exchange of data on the melamine contamination of dairy and non-dairy products "in a few days or a week at the latest."

"The setting up of the window takes priority," Lai said. "Then the two organizations will take action on our damage claim."

How and when Taipei will file a formal demand with Beijing is not clear. Probably, the SEF has to file it officially with the ARATS in a couple of days.



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