This file photo shows Ma Xiaoguang, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council. (PHOTO / CHINADAILY.COM.CN)

BEIJING - The Chinese mainland's temporary ban on pineapple imports from the Taiwan region is a standard measure to ensure biosecurity, said a mainland spokesperson Friday.

The temporary ban is a scientific biosecurity measure

Ma Xiaoguang, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, made the remarks when explaining the decision made by the mainland's General Administration of Customs to halt pineapple imports from Taiwan starting from March 1.

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Since 2020, customs of the mainland have in various instances found pests in pineapples imported from Taiwan, which would have posed a serious threat to the mainland's agriculture and ecological security had they not been intercepted, according to Ma.

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The temporary ban is a scientific biosecurity measure and is in line with the mainland's laws, regulations and standards, Ma added.