Beijing meddling in Taiwan bids to forge trade pacts, minister claims

Taiwan's economics minister Duh Tyzz-jiun has accused the mainland's government of meddling in other countries' efforts to sign trade pacts with the island, according to a local media report.

The minister said countries that were likely to enter into substantive trade talks with Taiwan this year had decided to hold off after Beijing expressed concerns about their engagement with Taiwan, the Central News Agency reported yesterday, citing an interview Duh gave with the United Daily News group.

Duh said Beijing had obstructed Taiwanese efforts to reach or sign free-trade agreements with at least two countries, including Malaysia.

Beijing's ambassador in Kuala Lumpur, Huang Huikang, said in August the mainland was against any move by Malaysia to sign a free-trade agreement with Taiwan, although it did not oppose both sides developing trade ties, Sin Chew Daily reported.

The China Times yesterday named Australia as the other country in talks with Taiwan over a trade pact, but it did not cite any sources.

Beijing and Taiwan have been rivals for decades after Kuomintang forces fled to the island in 1949 after losing the civil war on the mainland.