China has abruptly suspended imports of pineapples from Taiwan, citing scale insects were found in some of the imported fruit. This is another ambush on Taiwan’s agricultural and livestock products after it barred imports of Taiwan’s meat. The latest ban inflicted a greater impact, and Tsai Ing-wen’s government immediately announced a NT$1 billion relief program. Ms. Tsai, Vice President Lai Ching-te and Premier Su Tseng-chang visited pineapple farms to express strong support for farmers. The public initiated a buying campaign, showing the island will never bow to the pressure and intimidation from China whatsoever.

China’s surprise ban came at a time when Taiwanese farmers are about to harvest their crops, showing its ill intention to maximize the island’s losses, inflicting pressure on Taiwan’s government and society. The responses mentioned above are necessary but obviously not enough to address pineapple farmers’ problems. The countermeasures are also far less likely to stop China from using trade to achieve policy goals.

In addition to use subsidies to address the challenges from the latest and other subsequent curbs, Taiwan has to first clarify the questions: Is it possible for both sides across the Strait to unpack political issues from economic activities? To what extent can the rivalry between China and Taiwan go? To what extent do the two sides want (or not want) to maintain economic relations before hostility is lowered or dissolved?

These questions can no longer be evaded, and the answers are likely to be unacceptable. However, it is expected that China will take more similar moves to threaten Taiwan, with the industries/products affected and costs/impacts incurred likely to be far greater than the latest ban as the annual sales of pineapples to China is worth only NT$1 billion and the number of people engaged in the field is relatively small. Instead of passively responding to the imminent crisis, both government and the public must take these questions seriously.

In the face of China’s ban, a campaign is under way to promote domestic consumption. But how many pineapples can be consumed by Taiwan’s 23 million people? Will other fresh fruits be edged out? How much longer do we have to live with China’s harassment and pressure?

China claims it will not rule out unification by force as its warplanes keep entering Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ). Taiwanese government agencies and official organizations have shut out China-made IT equipment and speed cameras out of the concerns that they can be used to monitor or access sensitive data. A lawmaker went one step further by calling for a ban on China-made floor cleaner robots, saying the “spies” are capable of infiltrating into households and steal information. All of these show hostilities are rising across the Strait. It is too naïve to separate politics from business. In fact, everything across the Taiwan Strait has something to do with political dynamics and national security. The ban on pineapple is just another example.

It is a shame and confusing that when KMT was in power, it naively believed (or pretended) politics and economy could be dealt with separately. As a result, Taiwan’s trade and economy came to heavily depend on China’s market. Even after the Sunflower Movement and DPP came to power, Taiwan still has too many eggs in one basket and is recording a higher volume and percentage with the largest trading partner. Tsai’s government is unable, or it has tried, to alleviate the immediate and obvious crisis.

KMT ignored the political risk beneath the peace dividend from China while DPP underestimated the price Taiwan has to pay to shun reunification and embrace autonomy. DPP knows very well that the crisis is looming over, but it continues to say the cross-Strait economy and trade keep recording new highs as China needs Taiwan-made goods.

Such remarks are viewing all Taiwanese companies and manufacturers as TSMC, the world’s largest semiconductor foundry. The DPP government has ignored that many of the businesses and their products have actually not, or have not yet, withdrawn from China. Nor do they have any indispensible advantage. China can easily find an excuse to launch a malicious attack. If our authorities fail to counteract with a measure that makes the other side feel pain, it is these Taiwanese companies that will bear the brunt. We taxpayers will also be affected as we pay for the subsidies and aid.

Let’s face the reality: everything is politics across the Strait. At a time when Taiwan shuffled its national security team, seemingly shifting from hawks to doves, China was targeting at Taiwan’s pineapple. China’s move also coincided with new U.S. administration’s first 100 days. Under such context, its move can be described as a deliberate attempt to spark a local friction, in a bid to bring both sides back to the negotiating table over functional issues.

Whatever Beijing’s intentions behind the ban, Taiwan needs to clarify the nature of cross-Strait relations, using the clarity as a framework to work on strategies. Or the island will never take the helm over the cross-Strait dynamics. We will end up gaining nothing politically and economically.

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