03/17/05 China, Taiwan and U.S. ag trade

Farm and Ranch March 17, 2005 The U.S. may have many issues with the government of mainland China but Matt Weimar, U.S. Wheat Associates representative for China, says there is one subject that surpasses all others and has the potential to impact trade relations between the U.S. and China. Weimar: "Probably the biggest issue and I have had diplomats from China be very straight forward and blunt in telling me is the issue of Taiwan. And the issue of U.S. support to Taiwan. We still support them militarily to a certain extent through arms sales." This week China's parliament passed a law that authorizes force to stop Taiwan from pursing formal independence. The Taiwanese government called the law a "serious provocation." The Bush Administration said the new law was an "unfortunate" development that could increase tension in the region. In an interview late last year when he was in the Pacific Northwest, Weimar said agricultural trade could become a pawn. Weimar: "Of course wheat is an item that, or even some other large agricultural consumption items such as cotton and soybeans, have the potential to be used to pressure us in that debate over that island of Taiwan." The United States has a one-China policy that recognizes Beijing but has pledged in the past to defend Taiwan against mainland China. Government spokesmen in Beijing say the new law is not a hardening of its policy towards Taiwan. I'm Bob Hoff and that's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.