Taiwan mulls WTO appeal over China import ban

The Taiwanese government on Monday said it considering an appeal to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) over a Chinese ban on the import of Taiwanese wax apples and custard apples.

The ban was announced by China on Sunday without prior warning and prompted the Cabinet-level council in Taiwan to hold an emergency presser in response.

This is the second time this year China has suspended imports of fruit from Taiwan for mealybugs, following a ban on pineapples at the end of February.

During the press conference on Sunday, the Council of Agriculture (COA) dismissed the accusations in the notice and questioned the protocols implemented by China.

COA chief Chen Chi-chung also added that the council would consider appealing to the WTO if China does not further explain its decision by the end of September.

In an interview with CNA, COA deputy minister Chen Junne-jih said the council issued a response to China immediately after the Sunday presser.

On Sunday evening, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen took to Facebook to address the ban. Tsai condemned China's one-sided decision, stating that it violated WTO regulations.

Tsai also said she has instructed COA chief Chen Chi-chung to ensure the ban has only a minimal impact on Taiwanese farmers, and called for cross-party unity in the face of such political interference.

China on Sunday announced that it will suspend sugar apples and Java apples from Taiwan from Monday, claiming that multiple inspections detected quarantine pests in the two subtropical fruits this year.

According to a notice published on the website of China's General Administration of Customs (GAC) on Sunday, customs authorities will suspend declarations for cherimoya and wax apple originating from Taiwan, citing Planococcus minor found on multiple occasions this year, Chinese state media Global Times reported.

Its comes days after US media reported that US officials were considering changing the name of the Taiwan mission in Washington to "Taiwan Representative Office".

( With inputs from ANI )