Mainland China allows Taiwan grouper fish imports to resume just weeks before island’s elections

Beijing banned imports of the fish in June last year saying it had found banned chemicals and high levels of antibiotics in them

The mainland-friendly opposition party, the KMT, had raised the ban with mainland officials during a visit in February

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Grouper fish are a highly prized product. Photo: AP

Published: 3:16pm, 22 Dec 2023Updated: 4:38pm, 22 Dec 2023

Beijing has announced weeks before the Taiwanese elections that it will allow imports of high-value fish from the island – an issue specifically raised by the Kuomintang, the main opposition party, during a visit to mainland China earlier this year.

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

Beijing suspended imports in June last year, saying it had discovered banned chemicals and excessive levels of oxytetracycline, a type of antibiotic, in the fish, an accusation rejected by the Taiwanese authorities.

Zhu Fenglian, a spokeswoman for the mainland’s Taiwan Affairs Office, said the decision was based on “a comprehensive assessment of relevant corrective measures”, after Taiwanese industry representatives to the mainland had provided information about measures taken to address the problem and expressed the “strong hope” that imports could resume, according to state news agency Xinhua.

Some Taiwanese grouper farming enterprises have already registered with mainland customs authorities and will be able start exporting immediately, according to the report.

Beijing’s announcement comes just weeks before the island’s presidential election on January 13, which is poised to shape future cross-strait relations following years of tension during the presidency of Tsai Ing-wen, from the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party, who came to power in 2016.

Beijing sees self-ruled Taiwan as a breakaway territory that must be united with the mainland – and has never renounced the use of force to do so. Meanwhile, most countries do not officially recognise Taiwan as independent but many, including the United States, are opposed to a forcible change in the status quo.

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