The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) responded to a report by Hong Kong's Wen Wei Po today (June 4, 2021) claiming that meat products from Taiwanese brands were found to contain excessive amount of ractopamine and even Clenbuterol, a banned substance. The MAC emphasized that all meat products exported from Taiwan are strictly inspected before shipped abroad. The Hong Kong government also conducts random inspections and has stated that all sampled pork products from Taiwan have passed the inspections. Wen Wei Po’s false report is an attempt to damage the positive image of Taiwanese products. The MAC sternly refuted the report and expressed support for legal action by affected meat companies to defend their business reputation.
The MAC stated that, immediately after the false accusation, the Council of Agriculture (COA) had inspected products with the same lot number including meat balls, pork floss, dried pork, braised minced pork, and German sausage. All products passed the inspection and fully conformed to standards. Wen Wei Po attempted to smear Taiwanese pork products with inspection results lacking credibility, to which the COA firmly protested. The COA solemnly demanded that Wen Wei Po publicly apologize to the Taiwanese pig farmers and businesses whose reputation was harmed. It also vowed to assist businesses to take legal action and seek compensation for damage to their reputation.
The MAC indicated that Wen Wei Po customarily serves as a mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party. The media channel has released false information with malicious intent to slander Taiwan on innumerable occasions. This time, it sought to mislead the public in total disregard of the indisputable fact that Hong Kong's Food and Environmental Hygiene Department stated all samples of pork products from Taiwan had passed their inspection. Wen Wei Po’s action signifies its attempt to harm the positive image of Taiwanese products and undermine trade between Taiwan and Hong Kong. Wen Wei Po has completely forfeited its credibility as a media channel. The MAC appealed to all sectors of the society to see through Wen Wei Po’s vicious intent and jointly issue solemn condemnation.