China imposes fresh trade sanctions on Taiwan as Pelosi's visit upsets Beijing

Irked by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, China on Wednesday announced the halt of natural sand export to the island. China also reportedly suspended imports of citrus fruits, chilled white hairtail & frozen horse mackerel from the Taiwan region from Wednesday, according to the country's General Administration of Customs: Libijian, Consul General of China to Karachi. Notably, Pelosi arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday, ignoring Beijing's repeated security threats.

Beijing has maintained that Pelosi's visit is a serious violation of the one-China principle and the provisions of the China-US joint communique. It said the visit gravely undermines peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and sends a seriously wrong signal to the "separatist forces for Taiwan independence".

Shortly after Nancy Pelosi landed in Taipei on Tuesday, she reaffirmed her country's unwavering support for Taiwan's democracy and said this trip in no way contradicts longstanding United States policy on the self-governed island.

Displeased by the United States' move, China announced economic sanctions and import bans on several Taiwanese companies producing pastries, baked goods, and sweets.

On Tuesday, China temporarily halted imports of products from multiple Taiwanese food companies, Taiwan's Council of Agriculture (COA) confirmed, as per Focus Taiwan. 

The COA confirmed to media Libijian's statements and revealed that the blacklisted companies include producers of tea leaves, dried fruits, honey, cocoa beans, and vegetables, as well as catches from around 700 fishing vessels, the agency said. Chinese mainland also suspended imports of citrus fruits, chilled white hairtail, and frozen horse mackerel from the Taiwan region from Wednesday.

Moreover, China also announced the halting of natural sand exports to the Taiwan region from Wednesday. 

Nancy Pelosi in Taiwan

The US House Speaker, who is second in line to the Oval Office after the US vice-president, landed in Taiwan on Tuesday on the highest level US visit in over two decades.

Pelosi's visit was part of a Congressional delegation's tour of the Indo-Pacific region in the face of the Chinese threat. Minutes after her aircraft landed in Taipei, China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) announced that it would hold six live-fire military drills in waters around Taiwan, from Thursday to Sunday.

Chinese officials and experts have warned that all the consequences of this highly dangerous and provocative move will be borne by Washington, and such a visit will also forever change the cross-Straits situation and deliver a destructive impact on the already-difficult China-US relations.

(With inputs from agency)