TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Following the Council of Agriculture’s (COA) confirmation that China has barred most Taiwanese companies from exporting fish to the country, China claimed that reports about it “banning” fish exports from Taiwan were false.
On Thursday (Dec. 8), the Taiwan Squid and Saury Fisheries Association notified its members that China had suspended almost all imports or business registrations from Taiwan, causing the fishery industry to panic. That evening, the Council of Agriculture (COA) confirmed that out of over 100 businesses that submitted supplementary paperwork, only one received approval to continue exporting to China.
The main items that China barred included the Pacific saury, fourfinger threadfin, squid, mahi mahi, and tuna. China had not notified the COA or the Food and Drug Administration about any changes in its policy or reasons for suspending imports and businesses’ import registrations.
After the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) protested, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) on Friday (Dec. 9) responded by saying media reports about the issue “does not match reality.” It added MAC’s protest was “unreasonable trouble-seeking.”
In a Xinhua News Agency article posted to the TAO website, spokesperson Zhu Fenglian (朱鳳蓮) was cited as saying all measures were taken to “optimize the registration process” as part of China’s food safety regulations. She claimed the China General Administration of Customs’ regulations on the “registration and administration of overseas manufacturers of imported food” clarify businesses’ responsibilities and their governments’ supervisory duty for the sake of "protecting consumers."
She also claimed “relevant authorities” had notified Taiwan about issues and demands related to the regulations, while business registrations were handled “according to relevant rules.”
The “so-called ‘no-warning ban on imports,’” according to Zhu, was “purely manipulated hype,” and Taiwanese businesses had their registration suspended because they were missing information. TOA “solemnly informs relevant departments on the island to immediately cease any political manipulation and not do anything stupid that would harm businesses on the island.”
On Saturday morning (Dec. 10), more reports have surfaced in Taiwan about China imposing new bans on drink imports including Taiwan Beer, Kinmen Kaoliang, Kavalan Whisky, Heysong Sarsaparilla, and other alcoholic and soft drinks. UDN cited Taiwanese businesses as saying China may block more items next week.
