A view of the Taiwan Straits is seen from Xiamen port, in East China's Fujian Province. Photo: IC

 
The General Administration of Customs (GAC) announced plans to resume imports of Wendan pomelos from the Taiwan region starting on Monday, ending an import freeze of a little more than two years.

After thoroughly reviewing the industry's compliance measures as Hualien county in Taiwan submitted relevant documents, the mainland decided to resume Wendan pomelo imports from the island. These should be sourced from registered packing plants and orchards, and meet the inspection and quarantine standards of the mainland, Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office, said on Monday. 

The GAC previously suspended imports of Taiwan citrus fruits, including Wendan pomelos, effective from August 3, 2022 due to biosecurity and public health concerns, Chen said. 

Mainland customs authorities had detected harmful substances in such fruits on several occasions, according to Chen. 

Following the import suspension, relevant parties in Taiwan repeatedly expressed the strong desire to the Chinese mainland to resume exports of Wendan pomelos and conducted measures aimed at rectifying the situation to ensure the safety of the products.

Chen said that as long as we adhere to the 1992 Consensus and oppose "Taiwan independence," relevant matters can be resolved amicably, as people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits are of the same family.

The Chinese mainland is open to dialogue with relevant parties in Taiwan on imports of the region's agricultural products, with the aim of seeking benefits for Taiwan compatriots, especially those at the grassroots level, according to Chen. 

The GAC is willing to strengthen communication with the Chinese Kuomintang party and relevant authorities in Taiwan on resuming imports of Taiwan's agriculture and fishery products including Wendan pomelos, to the mainland on the common political basis of adhering to the 1992 Consensus and opposing "Taiwan independence," said Zhao Zenglian, deputy chief of the GAC in April. 

Global Times