Canada, US hail Taiwan's 'freedom pineapples' after China's ban on the fruit

After an import ban by China, the de facto US and Canadian embassies in Taiwan praised the quality of pineapples grown on the island and released images of their top diplomats in Taipei with the fruit. Taiwan is best known for its thriving tech companies and the sub-tropical island has a flourishing fruit industry. While the Taiwanese government called Beijing’s decision an “unacceptable” unilateral decision and encouraged its citizens and people from around the world to indulge in the country’s #FreedomPineapples, the Canadian Trade Office and the American Institute in Taiwan(AIT), posted pictures with the fruit and said, “we like pineapples from Taiwan”. 

The Canadian Trade Office in Taipei wrote, “At the Canadian office, we love pineapples on pizza, especially pineapples from Taiwan! Did you know that #Hawaiian pizza was invented in Canada? In, Canadian chef Sam Panopoulos blended this sweetness and salty flavors in his restaurant in Chatham, Ontario. The rest, as they say, is history!# Freedom Pineapples”. 

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The AIT, on the other hand, under the hashtags #realfriendsrealprogress and #pineapplesolidarity, posted pictures on Facebook and wrote, “Have you bought your pineapples? We have! Look out for pineapples in AIT’s posts and at AIT events…some may even be hiding!”

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‘Unacceptable unilateral decision’ 

It is worth noting that the Chinese authorities had banned imports of the fruit on Monday. According to The Guardian, the customs office had said that harmful pests had been detected in recent shipments. Taiwan, however, rejected the claim and accused Beijing of making an “unacceptable” unilateral decision. Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen accused China of unfair trade practices and said that 99.79 per cent of imported batches passed inspection. 

Tsai even announced that $36 million in assistance to Taiwan’s pineapple farmers and pledged to expand the export market to 30,000 tonnes by increasing overseas sales incentives and “strengthening marketing activities” in the US, Japan, Singapore and other international markets. She said that data proves that China’s decision is not based on health or fair trade. Tsai also urged people to enjoy Taiwan’s pineapples “whether in a smoothie, a cake or freshly cut on a plate”. 

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