Mainland China resumes fish imports from Taiwan weeks before polls

Just weeks before the Taiwanese elections, Beijing announced that it will permit imports of high-value fish from the island, a problem which was raised specifically by the main opposition party Kuomintang on his visit to mainland China earlier this year.

Now once again, the General Administration of Customs will allow imports of grouper fish – which is a high-value aquaculture item found in Taiwan – from registered farms on the island from Friday, according to a notice on the customs website.

The imports were suspended by Beijing in June last year as it said that excessive levels of oxytetracycline and banned chemicals were found in the fish. Oxytetracycline is a type of antibiotic.

Taiwan rejects China's accusations

The accusation was rejected by the Taiwanese authorities. The mainland’s Taiwan Affairs Office spokeswoman Zhu Fenglian said that the decision was based on “a comprehensive assessment of relevant corrective measures” after information regarding measures taken for addressing the problem was provided by Taiwanese industry representatives to the mainland.

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The representatives expressed“strong hope” that imports can resume, as per the state news agency Xinhua. As per the report, a few Taiwanese grouper farming enterprises have gone ahead and registered with mainland customs authorities and will begin exporting immediately.

The announcement has been made by Beijing just weeks before the presidential election in Taiwan on January 13. The electionis set to shape future cross-strait relations after years of tension during the
presidency of Tsai Ing-wen, who belongs to the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party and came to power in 2016.

China considers self-ruled Taiwan as its breakaway territory which should be united with the mainland and has never stopped using force to do so.

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Meanwhile, Taiwan is not recognised as an independent country by many countries, however, countries like the United States oppose a forcible change in the status quo.

KMT’s vice-chairman Andrew Hsia Li-yan had raised the issues being faced by Taiwanese food importers, which included the grouper ban, in a visit to the mainland in February.

On his 10-day trip, Hsia held meetings with top Taiwan affairs officials, which included Wang Huning, head of the top political advisory body of China and head of the State Council’s Taiwan Affairs Office Song Tao.

(With inputs from agencies)