Taiwan has lodged an official complaint to the World Trade Organization (WTO) against China following an ongoing trade spat over fruit imports.

Officials for the governing body said the communication was received on November 3rd, marking the first time Taiwan has raised a grievance on its own since joining the WTO.

The issue first arose when the customs administration in China refused to clear Taiwanese wax apples for import in September, citing concerns about pests within the fruit.

This came after an earlier ban on pineapples in February 2021, which was also related to pests and the associated threat to agriculture.

However, Taiwan insists the total ban is heavy-handed and unnecessary given the tiny proportion of its exports that may have contained bugs. It also points out that better quarantine measures have already been implemented to address the problem going forward.

The nation has now formally raised the matter with the trade watchdog and urged Beijing to revoke its import suspension or face further action in the form of an official WTO dispute.

Relations between China and Taiwan have become increasingly strained in recent years, with China insisting Taiwan will one day return to its control and Taiwan fighting ever-more fiercely for independence.