Smuggling Of Australian Lobsters Threaten Chinese National Security According To Customs Chief

AUSTRALIAN LOBSTERS

– Hong Kong’s new customs chief said smuggling of Australian lobsters threaten Chinese national security.

In the past years, the relationship between Australia and China has been going downhill. As such, this resulted in several import bans between countries, one of which, is the Australian Lobster.

The giant crustacean, however, has become a prized and sought-after delicacy in mainland China. Because of this, the price of the lobster rocketed as elites pay up a premium to get a taste of the succulent sea creature.

But, the smuggling of these lobsters may face a gigantic hurdle in the form of Louise Ho, Hong Kong’s first-ever female customs commissioner. During her inaugural press conference she told reporters:

On the surface, it is a simple matter of smuggling lobsters, but these activities undermine our country’s trade restrictions against Australia

…

Stopping lobster smuggling is a very important part of protecting national security, so we will pursue it diligently

In the previous week, Hong Kong and authorities from mainland China apprehended 3.86 tons of smuggled Australian lobsters. According to an article from Hong Kong Free Press, this amounted to $540,000 worth of smuggled products.

Back in June of 2021, Bloomberg reported how Hong Kong became the world’s top importer of Australian lobsters. Moreover, the monthly trade for the product rose by over 2000% from October to April alone.

Ho also stated that customs officials will actively prevent the entry of anti-government propaganda at the border, even if the content appears to be innocuous.

China has tightened its grip on Hong Kong, which was rocked by massive and often violent democracy protests two years ago.

Last year, it enacted a national security law that criminalizes much dissent and empowers authorities to go after anything deemed a threat to China.

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