After military pressure, with major maneuvers around Taiwan last week, China is also increasing economic pressure against Taipei. Ten days after the new Taiwanese president took office, who opposes any form of unification, Beijing will cancel the preferential customs duties that applied to products exported by the archipelago.
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In this list, lithium electric batteries, machine tools, chemicals used in industry and even golf articles. Around a hundred products in total, which benefited from lower customs duties since an agreement reached in 2010, but which will therefore be taxed more from June 15. According to Taipei, this decision could affect 10% of Taiwanese goods currently exported to the China.
The Chinese announcement sounds like a retaliatory measure against the new president Lai Ching-te, which opposes any form of unification. While Beijing considers on the contrary Taiwan as one of its provinces, which in its eyes must be reunified with mainland China.
To rereadChina ends two days of military maneuvers around Taiwan
Already last year, and in 2021, Taiwanese mangoes and pineapples were banned from entering China. According to Beijing, this was for health security reasons. For Taipei, it was political reasons. China has long been Taiwan’s largest trading partner. This is no longer the case today: Beijing was overtaken by the United States a few months ago. The United States is the largest importer of Taiwanese microchips.
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