FOR RELEASE WITH STORY BC-TAIWAN-WINE, 1999-05-09 (photo)

FOR RELEASE WITH STORY BC-TAIWAN-WINE - A Taiwanese woman carrying her child pays for two bottles of rice wine at a distribution centre of the Taiwan Wine and Tobacco Board in Taipei. Behind her, a long quene waits to buy the popular cooking wine, which has all but disappeared from store shelves. As part of its market-opening concessions to enter the World Trade Organisation, Taiwan's parliament is expected to pass a law replacing the current monopoly system with a new tax system. Under the law, rice wine, currently sold at T$20 or 60 U.S. cents, will be treated as distilled spirit like whisky and brandy and subjected to a much higher tax. The news has triggered a run on rice wine across Taiwan. Picture taken 30APR99. AH/CC