China suspends tariff exemptions for over 30 Taiwanese products

China announced it would lift tariff exemptions on 34 products from Taiwan, including fruits, vegetables and seafood.

The Chinese government announced on Wednesday that the suspension will begin on September 25.

It alleges that Taiwan is unilaterally imposing discriminatory restrictions on products from China and hindering economic cooperation between both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

The Taiwan Affairs Office of China’s State Council expressed the hope that Taiwan’s compatriots, including farmers and fishermen, would realize that Taiwan’s “pro-independence” stance propagated by the ruling Democratic Progressive Party was dangerous and harmful.

China describes Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te as a separatist and apparently wants to keep his government under control.

Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, which oversees China policy, expressed regret, saying the move would cause resentment among Taiwan’s farmers, fishermen and the general public and would not benefit the long-term development of cross-strait relations.

In Taiwan, many fruit growers who have benefited from China’s tariff exemptions are based in southern Taiwan, a stronghold of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party. With this latest move, China appears to be trying to increase pressure on the Lai government.