A few weeks before the upcoming Taiwanese presidential elections, Beijing has declared its decision to resume the import of high-value fish from the island, specifically grouper fish, a matter previously raised by the main opposition party, Kuomintang, during a visit to mainland China earlier in the year.
The General Administration of Customs, as indicated in a notice on its website, is set to allow the import of grouper fish from registered farms in Taiwan starting from Friday. This move comes after Beijing had suspended imports in June of the previous year, citing concerns about excessive levels of oxytetracycline, an antibiotic, and banned chemicals found in the fish. The Taiwanese authorities vehemently rejected these accusations.
According to Zhu Fenglian, a spokeswoman for the mainland’s Taiwan Affairs Office, the decision to resume imports was based on a “comprehensive assessment of relevant corrective measures” after Taiwanese industry representatives provided information on steps taken to address the alleged issues. Representatives expressed a “strong hope” that imports could resume, according to state news agency Xinhua. Several Taiwanese grouper farming enterprises have reportedly registered with mainland customs authorities and are poised to begin exporting immediately.
This announcement by Beijing is strategically timed, just ahead of Taiwan’s presidential election scheduled for January 13. The election is poised to influence future cross-strait relations after years of tension during the presidency of Tsai Ing-wen, a member of the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party, who assumed power in 2016. China views Taiwan as a breakaway territory that should reunite with the mainland, emphasizing its stance through the threat of force if necessary. The resumption of fish imports could be seen as a diplomatic gesture or a strategic move by Beijing in the context of the broader political dynamics between China and Taiwan.
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