China is suspending imports of citrus fruits, chilled white striped hairtail, and frozen horse mackerel from Taiwan starting Aug. 3, China’s customs said on Wednesday. Earlier in the day, China’s commerce ministry said China will suspend the export of natural sand to Taiwan from Aug. 3.
All about Pelosi’s visit
Pelosi is the highest-profile elected US official to visit Taiwan in 25 years. Her visit has ignited a diplomatic firestorm.
She landed late Tuesday in the wake of increasingly stark warnings from China. It has always considered the island a part of its territory to one day be reclaimed, by force if necessary.
New curbs rolled out by China
China’s Customs Administration said Wednesday it would suspend some citrus fruit imports from Taiwan over alleged “repeated” detection of excessive pesticide residue. Even, the import of fish owing to positive coronavirus tests on packages.
In a separate notice, the Commerce Ministry added it would also “suspend the export of natural sand to Taiwan” from Wednesday. No details were provided about the same.
Natural sand is generally used for producing concrete and asphalt, and most of Taiwan’s imported sand and gravel comes from China.
The moves are part of a “common pattern for Beijing”
The moves are part of a “common pattern for Beijing”, said Even Pay, an agriculture analyst at consultancy Trivium China. Moreover, other disruptions in the agricultural and food trade can be expected in the days to come, she added.
“When diplomatic or trade tensions are running high, Chinese regulators typically take an extremely strict approach to compliance… looking for any issues that can be used to justify a trade ban,” she stated.
China is Taiwan’s biggest trading partner and export market. The official data shows that their bilateral trade is growing 26 percent on year to $328 billion in 2021.
It is not the first time Beijing has taken aim at the island’s exports
China banned pineapple imports in March 2021. The country cited the discovery of pests. However, the move was widely seen as politically driven. (https://takes2fitness.com/)
Beijing has ramped up pressure on Taiwan since President Tsai Ing-wen took office in 2016. She views the island as a de facto sovereign nation and not part of “one China”.
On top of the latest bans, Taipei’s Council of Agriculture said Tuesday that China had cited regulatory breaches in suspending the import of other Taiwanese goods. It includes fishery products, tea, and honey.
China plans live-fire military drills
Meanwhile, Chinese authorities also announced planned live-fire military drills encircling Taiwan. Moreover, Taipei’s defense ministry argued that the move threatened key ports and urban areas.
According to coordinates shared by the People’s Liberation Army, at some points, the zone of Chinese operations will come within 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) of Taiwan’s shoreline.
Taiwan’s 23 million people have long lived with the possibility of an invasion. Moreover, that threat has intensified under President Xi Jinping, China’s most assertive leader in a generation.