China has banned pork imports from Germany on the eve of critical trade and investment talks, in a move analysts describe as a warning to Europe not to defy Beijing on a range of issues.
China’s Ministry of Agriculture and General Administration of Customs said in a joint statement on Saturday that China would stop accepting pork and related products from Germany. It said the move was intended to “protect the animal husbandry industry and prevent the spread of the disease” after Europe’s largest economy reported its first case of African swine fever.
The disease is common across China and has decimated its pig population in recent years. The ban came just two days before Chinese president Xi Jinping is scheduled to discuss trade issues in a video meeting with Angela Merkel, German chancellor, as well as Charles Michel and Ursula von der Leyen, presidents of the European Council and European Commission respectively, on Monday.