Ma recognizes apology for melamine

“The apology is good and worthy of recognition, though it indeed came a bit late,” Ma said while meeting with top leaders of seven of Taiwan’s largest industrial and commercial associations.

Ma was referring to an official letter of apology from the Beijing-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) sent to its Taiwanese counterpart, the Straits Exchange Foundation, the day before, in which it apologized to the people of Taiwan for the “food safety incident.”

Noting that the ARATS’ promise to have the unscrupulous milk powder supplier punished was not enough, Ma said Taiwanese victims were entitled to claim compensation from China.

The SEF has set up a mechanism to assist local consumers and companies harmed by the melamine incident in seeking compensation, Ma said.

ARATS informed the SEF Sept. 12 that 25 tons of Sanlu-brand milk powder imported from China in June as an ingredient used in food processing was adulterated with melamine, after Sanlu recalled 700 tons of the tainted milk powder linked to kidney-related diseases suffered by tens of thousands of young children in China.

Melamine is an industrial chemical used to make plastics and banned as a food additive.

Ma told the senior business executives that maintaining peace with China is in Taiwan’s best interest.

“We need not instigate conflicts to seek sympathy and should instead use peaceful means to resolve cross-strait disputes, “ Ma said.

Unfortunately, Ma said, some recent incidents, including the melamine scare, have cast clouds on relations with China.

He said if Chinese authorities had offered an apology earlier over the melamine scare, Taiwan’s people would have felt differently about the situation.

The letter of apology came just over a week before ARATS President Chen Yunlin visits Taiwan. Chen, as China’s top point man on Taiwan, is scheduled to arrive in Taipei Nov.3 for a five-day visit, during which he is expected to meet with Ma.

Acknowledging that many practical cross-strait issues need to be addressed, such as protection of Taiwanese investors in China, Ma said his administration will exercise prudence in engagements with China and will avoid any rash moves.

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