TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — China’s Taiwan Affairs Office Spokesperson Zhu Fenglian (朱鳳蓮) on Friday (Aug. 18) accused Taiwan of curbing the import of Chinese products, potentially violating certain World Trade Organization (WTO) policies.

Zhu said that China’s Ministry of Commerce found Taiwan “unilaterally” limited the import of Chinese products, Now News reported. These actions are detrimental to both Chinese industries and businesses, as well as Taiwanese consumers, the spokesperson said. 

China intends to explore appropriate measures in accordance with relevant regulations, she added.

Zhu said that based on the "1992 consensus," both sides of the Taiwan Strait signed the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) in 2010. This agreement aimed to normalize economic relations between the two sides, bringing benefits to both businesses and the public, she said.

However, since the Democratic Progressive Party came to power, it has failed to take steps to eliminate discriminatory trade restrictions with China and has even intensified these measures, Zhu claimed.

Given that Taiwan's trade restrictions on China appear to be at odds with the requirements of the ECFA and possibly break the WTO’s regulations on gradual reduction of tariffs and non-tariff barriers, China will take appropriate measures to respond, she said.

Zhu’s accusation comes just two months after Beijing lifted its ban on Taiwanese atemoyas in June. China previously banned Taiwanese pineapples in 2021 and Taiwanese seafood and pomelos in 2022.

In August 2022, Chinese authorities blacklisted 2,066 food products and over 100 food manufacturers from Taiwan prior to then U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the country.