Taiwan passed the Anti-infiltration Act on the last day of 2019. The bill is aimed at curbing Chinese infiltration in Taiwan. Farmers at one particular pineapple field in Kaohsiung have mixed feelings about how the bill might affect their exports.
A pineapple farmer in Dashu District in Southern Taiwan’s Kaohsiung City is concerned that a newly passed anti-infiltration law will affect his exports. The law is aimed at discouraging Chinese intervention in Taiwanese society. The farmer says 90% of his exports go to China. Now, with the newly passed law, he is worried that China will not buy his pineapples, causing a glut.
Another farmer from the same area does not share the same concerns. He says that he is a law-abiding businessman and conducts transactions legally. He does not expect the bill to affect him too much.
A third farmer says that China is just one of his many export destinations. Any negative impact on his sales to China resulting from the law wouldn’t hit him too hard.
In reality, only 5% of Taiwan’s pineapples are exported each year. The Chinese market is indeed important, but there’s plenty of demand for the tropical fruit right at home in Taiwan.