The Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) said Wednesday that it is not necessary to adopt measures that will contravene a protocol signed between Taiwan and United States on the easing of U.S. beef imports. Economic Affairs Minister Shih Yen-shiang said the ministry 'does not want to see Taiwan-U.S. relations plunge into tension, ' pointing out that this would have a negative impact on the normal development of Taiwan-U.S. trade ties. Shih's remarks came as the ruling and opposition parties prepared for a Dec. 29 showdown over the issue. The DPP has proposed its version of an amendment to the Act Governing Food Sanitation relating to U.S. beef imports, which categorically prohibits imports of products such as offal, ground beef, spinal cords, brains and skulls, in order to 'bar beef imports at the source and at the country's borders.' The ruling Kuomintang (KMT) legislative caucus has said it will seek an emergency consensus with the administration prior to Dec. 25 on how a KMT- version amendment should be presented. Shih said the protocol signed recently with the United States on lifting a partial ban on imports of U.S. beef has taken into consideration public health and international regulations, which he described as a 'reasonable' arrangement. To assuage misgivings about the expanded U.S. beef imports, which include products such as ground beef and beef offal that some fear could be potentially tainted with bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease, the Department of Health (DOH) has also imposed stringent measures -- the so-called 'three controls' and 'five certificates,' he added. The 'three controls' refers to setting controls on beef imports at the source, at borders and in markets, while the 'five certificates' refers to verifying certification documents, checking that shipments are marked with detailed product information, opening a high percentage of cartons of imported beef to check the product, conducting food safety tests, and being able to get information on suspected problem products immediately, according to DOH officials. 'The measures have been effective and the public misgivings about the high-risk parts of U.S. beef coming to Taiwan have proved unfounded,' he added. Vice Economic Affairs Minister Francis Liang said Washington is concerned about the moves by Taiwan's legislature to ban the imports, which would run counter to the rules of the World Health Organization and World Organization for Animal Health. The U.S. side is evaluating how Taiwan tackles the issues, he added. 