A routine press conference was held by the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office on April 8. A journalist raised a question concerning recent statements from Taiwan's agricultural department. The department claimed that Taiwan's commitment to refrain from imposing special safeguard (SSG) tariffs on US agricultural products would have a limited impact on local industries. This has sparked widespread concern within Taiwan's agricultural sector that an influx of American agricultural goods could severely impact local chicken, pork, and beef industries. There are additional fears that lax inspection and quarantine measures could lead to crop diseases.
In response, spokesperson Zhu Fenglian stated that in the face of US economic bullying, the DPP authorities have shown nothing but compliance, retreat, and attempts to curry favor. She accused them of "kowtowing to the US and selling out Taiwan" without any bottom line, actions that harm the interests of the people in Taiwan and sacrifice the future of the island's agriculture.