Taiwan believes that China is punishing it economically for a visit by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi by blocking imports of hundreds of its food producers and temporarily suspending natural sand exports.

China Customs Administration has suspended imports of more than 2,000 of about 3,200 Taiwanese food products since Monday night when US and Taiwanese officials confirmed Pelosi would visit Taiwan.

Historically, Beijing has punished other countries by cutting them off from its market if they behave in a way it dislikes, and it has frequently used such a strategy against Taiwan. The move, however, was viewed by analysts and government officials as a huge expansion of such economic warfare.

 “In the past, China hit single products from the primary sector such as specific fruit or fish — that way, they kept the overall macroeconomic impact on Taiwan limited but could target regions where the Democratic Progressive party is strong,” said Chiu Chui-cheng, deputy chair of the Mainland Affairs Council, Taiwan’s cabinet-level China policy body.

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