Premier Su Tseng-chang received a Council of Agriculture briefing Thursday on the upgrading of the pork industry and the establishment of a demonstration system for meat cold chains. Since Taiwan opened its market to U.S. pork imports earlier this year, residues of the feed additive ractopamine have not been detected in pork imports from any country, while consumption of domestic pork has increased 6,000 metric tons compared with last year.

The foreign ministry says that Taiwan will have to remove trade barriers and comply with free trade regulations in order to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). The CPTPP is a free trade pact led by Japan.

Taiwan is willing and able to cooperate with like-minded members of the global community in defending freedom and democracy throughout the Indo-Pacific, according to Legislative Yuan President You Si-kun Feb. 2.

Taiwan will apply to join the free trade pact, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) at an appropriate time. That’s the word from foreign ministry spokesperson Joanne Ou on Tuesday. Ou was speaking in light of the UK’s recent application to join the CPTPP.

The health ministry says samples of imported frozen food all tested negative for COVID-19. The tests on over 400 food products included their inner and outer packets.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) called on Monday for a peaceful resolution of political unrest in Myanmar following reports of a suspected coup in the Southeast Asian country.

Taiwan’s foreign ministry is calling for peaceful dialogue between leaders in Myanmar after the military there seized power from the country’s leaders on Monday morning.

Taiwan Premier Su Tseng-chang is urging the public to remain vigilant against the threat of African swine fever in imported pork products over the Lunar New Year. His call came during a visit to Taipei’s mail processing center on Wednesday.