A recent statement by U.S. Senator Rick Scott has escalated tensions between the United States and China. Senator Scott declared that Chinese garlic is a \"major threat\" to U.S. food safety and advocated for the initiation of a Section 301 investigation. Following these claims, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the \"National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025,\" which includes a provision to ban the sale of Chinese garlic in U.S. military stores.
In response, Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, addressed these allegations during a press conference. She stated, \"It is believed that garlic probably has never imagined it could pose a major threat to the U.S.,\" highlighting the perceived absurdity of the claims. Mao criticized the growing trend in the United States to label a wide range of Chinese products—from drones and cranes to refrigerators and garlic—as \"national security risks.\"
She accused U.S. politicians of using these issues as a pretext for protectionism, aiming to suppress China's development and disrupt global industrial and supply chains. Mao warned that the over-politicization and weaponization of economic, trade, and technological matters could exacerbate security risks within global supply chains, ultimately harming people worldwide.
Mao concluded by urging U.S. politicians to adopt a more rational and commonsensical approach to international trade and economic relations to avoid becoming targets of ridicule.
Reference(s):
Spokesperson: Garlic not imagined as a major threat to the U.S.
cgtn.com
