Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen casts a vote in a referendum on Dec. 18, 2021, in New Taipei City. (Photo courtesy of Democratic Progressive Party/Kyodo)

       TAIPEI (Kyodo) -- A Taiwan referendum that sought to reinstate a ban on imports of U.S. pork failed Saturday, averting a blow to ties with Washington at a time when China has stepped up diplomatic and military pressure on the self-ruled island.

       The government of President Tsai Ing-wen had lifted the pork ban in January, but consumers and the main opposition Nationalist Party (KMT) were calling for the ban to be reinstated because the pork contains traces of a leanness-enhancing drug approved for use in livestock in the United States.

       All four referendums held Saturday, including one seeking to move the site of a proposed liquefied natural gas terminal and another seeking to resume construction of a nuclear power plant, failed, giving the Tsai government a popular mandate for its key policies.

       For a referendum to pass, at least a quarter of the roughly 19.83 million eligible voters, or around 4.96 million, need to approve the proposal. But none met the threshold, and there were more "no" votes than "yes" ones in all four referendums.

       KMT Chairman Eric Chu conceded defeat at a news conference, calling the outcome "regrettable."

       Taiwan had long suspended imports of beef and pork from the United States due to concerns over mad cow disease and trace amounts of animal feed additives. But Tsai's Democratic Progressive Party government said last year that from January the pork ban would be lifted and restrictions on U.S. beef further relaxed.

       The easing of the measures led to the resumption of long-delayed talks under the 1994 U.S.-Taiwan Trade and Investment Framework Agreement. The Tsai government also hoped that the move would help Taiwan's bid to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade deal.

       Under increasing pressure from Beijing, which considers Taiwan a renegade province, the government was urging the public to vote against the import ban lest its reinstatement impact Taiwan-U.S. relations negatively.

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