China suspends mango imports from Taiwan

According to international media, apparently the measures would be due to phytosanitary reasons. However, the suspension coincides with a visit by the Taiwanese vice president to the United States. China has suspended imports of Taiwanese mangoes, claiming mealybug infestations have been detected on the fruit, in a possible example of "fruit diplomacy" amid rising tensions between the two close neighbors. The suspension is effective from Monday, and China's General Administration of Customs has asked Taiwan to improve its quarantine management mechanism, the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council said in a statement. It identified the Planococcus Minor pest as the pest in question. "If the pest spreads (to China), it will pose a serious threat to agricultural production and ecological security on the mainland," the Taiwan Affairs Office said. China has used the fruit in its diplomacy before, with the suspension ...