TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s Minister of Economic Affairs says international norms should inform trade decisions rather than expressions of good or bad will, following China citing the latter as a reason to lift import bans on products made by 63 Taiwanese companies on Sunday (Jan. 29).

Minister Wang Mei-hua (王美花) told Newtalk News reporters on Thursday (Feb. 2) that Taiwan always adheres to international norms and rules when making trade decisions. "Commodity transactions, especially food transactions, should not use 'good intentions or bad intentions' to determine whether they can be traded," she said.

Wang said that trading partners should expect safe and transparent standards when conducting trade, including across the Taiwan Strait.

In December, China barred several types of Taiwan-caught fish and alcohol products, claiming they had not been properly registered. Some of the products included Kinmen Kaoliang, Taiwan Beer, and Kavalan Whiskey.

China’s Taiwan Affairs Office TAO said in a press release on Sunday that Kinmen Distillery was one of the companies cleared to resume exports. “We are willing to continue to assist in solving the problem of incomplete and irregular registration information of some Taiwanese food companies, so as to facilitate the import of Taiwanese food,” the office claimed.