Source: Global Times-Global Network
[Global Times-Global Network Report Reporter Ni Hao] On the morning of August 3, relevant mainland authorities issued consecutive notices to suspend the export of natural sand to Taiwan. As a result of unqualified customs quarantine, the import of citrus fruits, chilled leucorrhea and frozen horse mackerel in Taiwan has been suspended. Xiamen University Taiwan Research Institute Deputy Dean Zhang Wensheng pointed out that the DPP authorities adhere to the "Taiwan independence" separatist policy and do not recognize the "1992 Consensus ", which makes many issues on the two sides of the Taiwan Strait lack communication and coordination channels. Therefore, the DPP authorities must assume the responsibility of harming the interests of the Taiwanese people.
, which has been unable to get rid of the " pineapple shadow", quickly reported it widely, and the words "sudden suspension" and "sanctions" filled many Taiwanese media. However, some calm Taiwanese netizens were not moved by the Taiwanese media's propaganda offensive. As of about 16:30 pm, there were nearly 2,000 messages under a related news on Yahoo Taiwan News website. According to the observation of a reporter from " Global Times ", Taiwanese netizens' comments were almost one-sided, pointing their finger at the DPP authorities, accusing them of cooperating with the US Congress Speaker Pelosi to make a show, gain political capital, and ultimately harming the people. In addition, they also criticized the DPP authorities for making money from the mainland while provoking the mainland.
htmlOn August 3, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce said that according to relevant laws and regulations, it was decided to suspend the export of natural sand to Taiwan. The relevant measures will be implemented from August 3, 2022. The General Administration of Customs of China also issued a notice that mainland customs have detected quarantine pests from mainland citrus fruits imported from Taiwan many times, and nucleic acid of the new coronavirus was detected on the packaging of frozen leucorrhea and frozen horse mackerel from Taiwan. It is decided to suspend the import of citrus fruits, chilled leucorrhea and frozen horse mackerel from Taiwan from August 3.
Relevant information from the Ministry of Commerce and the China Sand and Gravel Association shows that natural sand is naturally formed and suitable for use in construction, but because it is non-renewable and mining is seriously harmful to the environment, the Ministry of Commerce and the General Administration of Customs banned the export of natural sand as early as the fourth batch of "Catalogue of Prohibited Exports" in 2006.
However, relevant companies on Taiwan's island reported to the Ministry of Commerce that the island has shortage of sand and gravel resources and serious shortage of supply, and urgently hope that the mainland will resume natural sand exports to Taiwan as soon as possible. On March 7, 2008, the Ministry of Commerce issued the "Procedures for Application of Natural Sand Export License to Taiwan and Related Matters", which officially resumed the export of natural sand to Taiwan from March 10 of that year.
According to the specific information of the fourth batch of "Catalogue of Prohibited Exports" of the Ministry of Commerce and General Administration of Customs No. 16, 2006, data queried by a reporter from the General Administration of Customs of the Global Times from China shows that the goods under the two tax numbers "25051000 and 25059000" in the import and export tax rules are divided into silica sand , quartz sand and other natural sand. In 2021, the mainland exported more than 67,000 tons to Taiwan.
With the announcement of relevant trade measures in mainland China on August 3, some Taiwanese netizens mocked the DPP. Some netizens said: "So we have to use the black-hearted sea sand again. Think about the sea sand house more than 20 years ago." Another netizens said: "It doesn't matter, we also have the 'democratic' sand and gravel in the United States." Public information shows that river sand in natural sand is suitable for use in building materials, has good water permeability and is widely used. Sea sand contains a large amount of sodium chloride (salt) and shells, which corrode metals such as steel bars. Therefore, sea sand is strictly prohibited from being used in building materials, which will greatly reduce the life of the building and pose safety hazards.
. Regarding the suspension of imports of related agricultural products in Taiwan, the General Administration of Customs of China has specified the reasons on its website. A reporter from the Global Times found that on August 3, the General Administration of Customs of China issued another notice, and adopted measures to suspend imports for four overseas aquatic products companies, including enterprises in Brazil , India, Indonesia , Vietnam and other countries. The relevant Chinese departments have also stated many times before that the relevant measures are for food safety and are common practices in the international community.
Last year, when the mainland suspended the import of pineapples from Taiwan, it was called "political manipulation" by the DPP authorities.A spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council of China showed the pictures of pests found on Taiwan's pineapples on the spot, and made factual evidence and refutations.
The Global Times reporter learned from the relevant report on Taiwan’s agricultural product trade overview in 2021 that the annual agricultural product trade export value of Taiwan is US$5.67 billion, and the mainland is the largest agricultural product export market in Taiwan. In addition, the Hong Kong market accounts for 30% of Taiwan's overall exports, far ahead of other countries and regions. Among the export of agricultural products, fish and other aquatic products are the largest export category, accounting for 30% of the total.
Data provided in Taiwan media reports show that Taiwan’s aquatic products and related fruits are highly dependent on the mainland. Statistics from relevant departments in Taiwan show that among the export of fresh food in 2021, the ratio of citrus fruits to the mainland is as high as 86%, and the number of fresh or refrigerated hairtail fish is 9,146 tons, all of which are exported to the mainland. Nearly 50% of frozen bamboo fish sales were sold to the mainland.
Regarding the new trade measures in mainland China on August 3, a Taiwanese netizens said: "Recently, vendors from the vegetable markets from the south have begun to scold the DPP." Taiwan Wireless Satellite TV claimed that the mainland has adopted "economic suppression" on Taiwan and has begun to suspend the import of citrus fruits, leucorrhea and bamboo fish. Among them, fishermen are the biggest affected. More than half of the leucorrhea in Yilan, Suao alone are mainly exported to the mainland, and the income of fishermen will also be reduced by up to 40%.
Overall, what is more interesting in cross-strait economic and trade relations is Cross-strait Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA). In June 2010, Taiwan has made great profits from the ECFA signed by the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. Taking ECFA's "early collection list" as an example, as of March 2020, Taiwan had 539 products exported to the mainland and enjoyed duty-free treatment; however, Taiwan only opened 269 duty-free products to the mainland, and agricultural products were not within the scope of duty-free. A considerable number of small and medium-sized enterprises and their farmers and fishermen in the south of the island make huge profits. But this has become a "poison wrapped in sugar" in the eyes of Democratic Progressive Party politicians.
In this regard, Zhang Wensheng, deputy director of the Taiwan Research Institute of Xiamen University, believes that as a politician, Tsai Ing-wen obviously puts her political goals before the issue of people's livelihood, and her goal is to attract votes. If political interests are more important to her, she would rather take risks that are not conducive to cross-strait economic and trade relations and adhere to her "Taiwan independence" position, and sacrifice the interests of the people.
mourns the DPP for being sanctioned, and a Taiwanese netizen said: "Isn't ECFA bad? Just abolish it. People give in, we 'dive deep into soft soil' (to get more and more)! The last thing that is suffering is still the people of Taiwan! "Another netizen said: "When Ma (English-Jiang) government, the DPP criticized the authorities for relying too much on trade with the mainland. As a result, the trade with the mainland is even worse than the previous dynasty. As long as it was banned, the DPP would mock unfair and have not made any progress in six years of going to power." "Pelosi's graduation trip in his personal political career, even his own Chinese people have opposes. He insisted on coming to Taiwan to receive a 'graduation gift'. What benefits did it bring to Taiwan? This made the situation in the Taiwan Strait more tense, making Taiwanese products even more unavailable to export to the mainland market, making foreign capital even less afraid to invest in Taiwan, and causing a large amount of capital in the stock market to flow out."
Regarding the series of economic measures taken by the mainland, Zhang Wensheng believes that these measures are reasonable and well-founded and have sufficient reasons. When it comes to economic and trade issues, the two sides of the Taiwan Strait can communicate and solve and deal with it. However, because the DPP authorities adhere to the "Taiwan independence" separatist policy and do not recognize the "1992 Consensus", many issues on the two sides lack communication and coordination channels. "The DPP authorities must assume this responsibility." Tang Yonghong, deputy director of the Taiwan Research Center of Xiamen University, told the Global Times reporter that the trade surplus obtained by Taiwan from the mainland every year is as high as US$170 billion, and the DPP, which has forgotten its ancestors, does not use it to improve people's livelihood, but has always been used to fight against the mainland. Its counter-intentional actions will inevitably lose the hearts of the people.
