China announced on Wednesday to suspend the import of certain fruits and fish from Taiwan, as well as the export of sand to the island, in response to the visit of the president of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi.

The trip by Nancy ePelosi, the most senior American elected official to go to Taipei in 25 years, has drawn the ire of Chinese authorities. They reacted by condemning her arrival and launching military exercises around the island, which they consider to be an integral part of China. Trade sanctions are now added to these reactions: the Chinese customs administration has decided to suspend the import of citrus fruits and certain fish from Taiwan.

He claims to have “repeatedly” detected a type of harmful cochineal in citrus and to have registered excessive levels of pesticides. Packages containing two types of fish also tested positive for coronavirus, she said. For its part, the Ministry of Commerce announced “to suspend the export of natural sand to Taiwan” from Wednesday, without giving any explanation. Natural sand is typically used to make concrete and asphalt, and Taiwan relies heavily on China for its supply.

“Classic Diagram”

This is not the first time that Beijing has targeted trade with other countries or with Taiwan in this way. It’s “a classic pattern for Beijing,” says Even Pay, an agriculture analyst at Trivium China. “When diplomatic and trade tensions are high, Chinese regulators often become extremely strict about compliance … looking for any reason to justify a trade ban,” he adds.

In March 2021, China banned the import of pineapples from the island, claiming to have discovered parasites there, a move that was later interpreted as a political sanction. Taiwan’s Agriculture Council also said Tuesday that China has invoked regulatory violations to suspend the import of various products from the island, including fish products, tea and honey.

Chinese authorities have increased pressure on Taiwan since incumbent President Tsai Ing-wen, of an independence party, came to power in 2016. China is Taiwan’s largest trading partner, with trade increasing 26% in 2021 to $328 billion.