China ignited by Diplomatic firestorm, punishes Taiwan
China rolled out curbs on the import of fruits and fish from Taiwan while halting shipments of sand to the island on Wednesday. China rolled out its imports after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan.
Nancy Pelosi is the second in line to the presidency and the highest profile elected US official that had visited Taiwan in the last 25 years. This trip by Pelosi ignited a diplomatic firestorm in China and they pulled the ropes on their imports.
Pelosi landed late Tuesday in Taiwan, in the wake of increasingly crisp warnings from China. China still considers Taiwan as a part of its territory and to one day be rightfully claimed by them, even by force if so necessary. On Wednesday China’s customs Administration said that they would suspend some citrus fruits and fish imports from Taiwan over alleged “repeated” detection of excessive pesticide residue and the use of positive coronavirus tests on packages.
The Commerce Ministry in a note also added that it would also “suspend the export of natural sand to Taiwan” from Wednesday onwards without providing further explanations or details. This is not the first time that Beijing has taken a hit at Taiwan’s exports. China had earlier in March 20221, banned pineapple imports from the island. Cited that the discovery of pests in a move that was widely seen as politically charged.
Beijing has pressurized Taiwan ever since President Tsai Ing-wen took office in 2016. Beijing is worried as Tsai Ing-wen views the island nation as a de facto sovereign nation and not a part of “one China”.
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