Source: World Wide Web
The Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council held a regular press conference on 29 July, at which Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, answered reporters' questions.
A reporter asked: A few days ago, the General Administration of Customs issued a notice saying that quarantine pests have been detected from the sourscaria and lotus mist imported from the mainland from the Taiwan region on many occasions, and has announced the suspension of the import of soursop and lotus mist from the Taiwan region. Thank you.
Zhu Fenglian: Since the beginning of this year, the mainland customs has repeatedly intercepted quarantine pests from the soursse and lotus mist imported from Taiwan, the ocean rump whitefly, and has taken measures to return or destroy them in accordance with the law, and has promptly notified the Taiwan side. This pest endangers a wide range of fruit and food crops and poses a serious threat to agroforestry production and ecological security. According to customs, in addition to the ocean rump whitefly, pests such as cocoa gall bacteria and new pineapple gray mealybugs were also detected in the soursop and lotus mist imported from Taiwan. In order to prevent the risk of plant epidemics at the source, in accordance with the relevant laws, regulations and standards of the mainland, the General Administration of Customs has decided to suspend the import of cherimoya and lotus mist from Taiwan to the mainland from September 20, 2021. Since 2020, the mainland has repeatedly informed the relevant authorities in Taiwan of the unqualified situation of imported fruits, reminding them to strengthen source control, but such a situation has not been improved. In order to protect agricultural production and ecological security and protect the vital interests of the people, the suspension of the import of cherimoya and lotus mist from Taiwan is scientifically reasonable and completely legitimate. The General Administration of Customs has made corresponding circulars to the Taiwan side through the contact channels of the "Agreement on The Cooperation on Quarantine and Inspection of Agricultural Products Across the Straits." The DPP authorities have politicized the necessary suspension measures related to agricultural production, ecological security, and the people's vital interests, and have taken advantage of the opportunity to maliciously smear the mainland and incite cross-strait antagonism, which shows that they have no desire to solve the problem at all, have no will to think about the Taiwan peasants, and will only further damage the vital interests of the Taiwan people.
