On February 25, 2021, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen called on the public to join in eating pineapples (pineapples) to support Taiwanese farmers on Facebook.
China’s General Administration of Customs announced the suspension of Taiwan’s pineapple (also known as pineapple) imports from next Monday (March 1), citing the detection of harmful organisms in the imported product. Taiwan’s Council of Agriculture Chairman Chen Jizhong expressed regret, that China announced the ban in Taiwan pineapple harvest season to temporary ulterior motives, hoping to solve the problem through cross-strait consultations, and called on the people of Taiwan to eat more pineapples to help farmers to tide over the difficulties. The DPP spokesman criticized that China wanted to use economic means to threaten the people of Taiwan after the military scare. (Zhong Guangzheng reported from Taipei)
Taiwan Agriculture Committee Chairman Chen Jizhong said on Friday (26) in response to the ban by the Chinese General Administration of Customs that Taiwan exported several batches of pineapples to the mainland from last October, and the inspection pass rate reached 99.79 percent, while the so-called harmful organisms detected were three kinds of mesocosms. He pointed out that The Japanese government to Taiwan pineapple test out shellworms, will first use fumigation treatment, and then allowed in the market sales, Beijing‘s approach and announced the timing of ulterior motives.
Chen Jizhong said: now from the end of February March pineapple harvest, from Pingtung to Tainan, Chiayi, at this Time to make such a decision, we feel very strange, not nearly in line with the norms of international trade. If you tell us in October last year, maybe there is still his reason, from October last year to now, we exported to China, more than 656 batches of pineapples with 5121 metric tons are completely 100% qualified. You made a decision at this time after four or five months, and the timing of this decision, and is Taiwan’s pineapple to a large number of harvest time, really will make us feel very surprised.
Chen Jizhong said, although has been urgently to a number of countries to promote pineapple, but still hope that the people of Taiwan to help eat more pineapples, to help farmers through the difficult times.
Chen Jizhong said: I think the pineapple is a high quality, there are many nutrients of the senior fruit, we will take advantage of this time to market the pineapple to all consumers, so we are here to appeal to all consumers, this 130,000 metric tons of pineapple, we have 23 million consumers, as long as everyone is willing to come together at this time to consume pineapple, I think we can definitely overcome such challenges this year.
In response to a media query about whether China is worried about a complete ban on Taiwan’s agricultural imports in the future, following the ban on pineapple imports, Chen Jizhong believes that agricultural products are a matter of national security and he believes that Beijing will not take measures that are detrimental to itself.
Chen Jizhong said: COVID-19 to Europe and the United States caused a big increase in agricultural production costs, freight containers can not be transferred, and even the cost of international freight soaring led to a big increase in China’s demand for Food, and therefore in the world to purchase a large number of agricultural products this thing to see, the contribution of trade in agricultural products to food security is very important. We believe that no country can take away the trade in agricultural products, which is an important tool to solve food security. Therefore, I think that the cross-strait market trade will be maintained in general in the future.
On February 26, 2021, Chen Jizhong, Chairman of the Council of Agriculture: China announced a ban on imports when Taiwan’s pineapple was about to be harvested, with the aim of catching Taiwan off guard. (Photo by Chung Kwong-ching)
DPP spokesman Jane Shu Pei said that it is not the first time that China uses the export of agricultural products from other countries as a political threat, like last year when Australia offended China by calling for an investigation into the source of the Epidemic, it retaliated against Australia by using the name of anti-dumping, not only increasing the deposit, but also banning the import of many Australian products.
Jane Shu Pei said: now is the pineapple production season in Taiwan, China announced such a surprise one-sided ban, can not help but question, Beijing authorities in addition to military aircraft, warships around Taiwan and other military exercises to intimidate, but also through the economic export ban, forked Taiwan’s economic throat, trying to force the people of Taiwan spiritual fear and yield, this is China’s standard civilian attack on Taiwan and military intimidation techniques. China threatens Taiwan with pineapples, the DPP calls on all the people of the country to stand up together, with action to support Taiwan pineapples, through the purchase of Taiwan pineapples, unity to protect Taiwan’s agriculture.
The Land Commission said that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait has signed the “cross-strait agricultural products quarantine and inspection cooperation agreement”, and the establishment of notification and coordination mechanism, I hope that the business authorities of both sides can communicate through the established mechanism as soon as possible, pragmatic problem solving, early recovery of Taiwan pineapple exports to the mainland, follow-up if necessary, the Land Commission will provide assistance.
In the mainland, the Taiwan Affairs Office spokesman Ma Xiaoguang said, since last year, China Customs repeatedly from Taiwan imported pineapples in the detection of organisms classified as quarantine pests, these pests, once imported, will cause serious threats to the mainland agricultural production and ecological security. To prevent the risk of plant disease from the source, according to the relevant mainland laws and regulations and standards, decided to suspend the import of Taiwan pineapples.
According to the statistics of Taiwan authorities, more than 40,000 metric tons of Taiwan pineapples exported to the mainland last year, accounting for more than 90% of the total exported pineapples, the total value of more than 1.4 billion New Taiwan dollars.
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