Pineapples and Politics: China’s Pineapple Ban on Taiwan
To the average person, pineapples are just another fruit used in a variety of popular desserts and dishes. But to Taiwanese pineapple farmers, they represent an integral source of income. Thus, with the harvest season in full bloom, it comes as no surprise that resentment within the island grew when Beijing announced a sudden ban on pineapples imported from Taiwan on March 1st. Beijing claimed that this decision had nothing to do with political differences between the two governments, a conflict many attributes to Taiwan’s rejection of the one-China principle - which views Taiwan as a territory that should be returned to Beijing’s control - but was simply the result of pests being found on Taiwanese produce. The validity of this claim is also under fire as stricter practices are said to have been taken on by Taiwan’s quality controls since last October.
Netizens took to social media to express their discontent towards China’s trade practices referencing the country’s ban on Australian wine (among other products) not long ago in 2020. With China originally consuming more than 90 percent of Taiwan’s pineapple exports, according to data from 2018 to 2020, or around $155.23 million US dollars, many feared long-term repercussions on Southern Taiwanese farmers. Following the example of Australia's #FreedomWine movement on Twitter, Foreign Minister Joseph Wu urged support for Taiwan’s #FreedomPineapple. The movement accumulated immense support from Netizens across the globe who pledged to purchase Taiwanese pineapples. Within a span of a few days, Taiwan received pre-orders for 41,687 tons of pineapples according to Minister Chen Chi-Chung from Taiwan’s Council of Agriculture. All that remains is for Taiwan to decide if it will attempt to fix trading ties with China or find trading partners in new markets.
Edited by Matthew Takavarasha.
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