Taiwan Considers Filing WTO Complaint Against China’s ‘Unfair’ Import Bans: Premier

Taiwan's Premier Su Tseng-chang speaks during a session on the crisis between Russia and Ukraine, at the parliament in Taipei, Taiwan, on March 1, 2022. (Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images)

Taiwan may file a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) in response to China’s recent import bans on Taiwanese food and beverage products, which violate international trade rules, its premier said Saturday.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) regime has banned imports of Taiwanese alcoholic beverages and certain fishery products, citing a failure to comply with its exporter registration regulation, Taipei Times reported.

Taiwan, which China claims as its own, has been complaining about Chinese import bans on various agricultural and aquatic goods, saying it is part of a Chinese pressure campaign. The latest ban includes beers, liquors, and squid.

Taiwanese Premier Su Tseng-chang said the ban contravened WTO rules and accused the CCP of “meddling in trade through administrative means.”

The Chinese regime “is especially tough on Taiwan and especially discriminates against Taiwan,” Su said, adding that Taiwan would communicate with relevant Chinese departments to resolve the matter.

“If there is any noncompliance with the relevant WTO norms, we will also follow the relevant channels to file a complaint,” he told reporters.

Victor Wang, Taiwan’s deputy minister of health and welfare, said the CCP treated Taiwan “unfairly” as the regime provided no explanation for why Taiwanese exporters’ registrations were denied.

Some exporters believed Chinese customs denied their registration because they did not use “China Taiwan” on the registration documents.

According to the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration, more than 2,000 exporters had their imports suspended on Sept. 15, which is higher than the number of those who had their shipments approved.

CCP Warns of ‘Forceful Responses’

The import bans came after a visit by British parliamentary committee to Taiwan, which infuriated the CCP. Beijing denounced the visit as “gross interference” with its internal affairs and warned of “forceful responses” to such actions.

The British parliamentary committee visited Taiwan on Dec. 1 to meet with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and other high level officials. But the CCP said the visit violated the “One China principle,” which claims Taiwan as part of China.

“Moves of the UK side that undermine China’s interests will be met with forceful responses from the Chinese side,” the Chinese Embassy in the United Kingdom said in a statement.

The committee is a parliamentary body, separate from government and made up of elected lawmakers from a range of parties. It scrutinizes government policy but does not have statutory powers.

Committee Chairwoman Alicia Kearns responded by saying that it’s “entirely right that democracies engage in dialogue with one another.”

“Whilst the Chinese Communist Party has chosen to shut down dialogue by sanctioning British MPs, I believe that engaging with, and listening to, our friends across the Indo-Pacific, matters,” Kearns said.

The British government did not comment on the embassy statement. Britain does not have formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan but maintains an unofficial relationship.

Reuters contributed to this report.