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Last year China suspended imports of pineapples, sugar apples
and wax apples from Taiwan, citing concerns about pests, which
Taiwan strongly denied.
Relations between Taipei and Beijing, which claims
democratically ruled Taiwan as its own territory, are at their
lowest in decades, with China increasing political and military
pressure to get the island to accept its sovereignty.
China's customs administration said late Friday it had
repeatedly detected banned chemicals in grouper from Taiwan and
would suspend their import from Monday "in order to prevent
risks and protect the health and lives of consumers".
Taiwan's Council of Agriculture Minister Chen Chi-chung
dismissed the accusation, saying there was nothing wrong with
the fish and they would provide data to China and request a
response from them.
If China does not respond then Taiwan won't rule out taking the
issue to the WTO, he told reporters.
Cabinet spokesman Lo Ping-cheng said that China has been
repeatedly boycotting and blocking Taiwanese agricultural and
aquatic products "in a manner inconsistent with international
practices".
This not only harms relations between Taiwan and China "but also
makes the Taiwanese people even more disgusted by the Chinese
Communist Party authorities' wanton suppression of Taiwan".
While most Taiwanese grouper is consumed at home, China accounts
for some 90% of the exported product.
(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Additional reporting by Shanghai
newsroom; Editing by Shri Navaratnam)
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