China Declares Australian Rock Lobsters a 'National Security Threat'

The smuggling of Australian rock lobsters into mainland China is a threat to the Communist country’s national security and integrity, Hong Kong’s new customs chief said Thursday as she vowed to crack down on the illicit trade.

Lobster has long been regarded as a treat in China and Australia has been a favored source of the delicacy for decades.

That all changed when Beijing restricted imports of the crustacean as relations between the countries plunged after the government turned on Australia because it dared stand up to it and publicly affirmed its belief the coronavirus was first spread in Wuhan wet markets.

Canberra also took on the World Health Organization (W.H.O.) for its stumbling response in the early days of the global pandemic.

Imports of Australian rock lobsters to Hong Kong — which maintains no restrictions on the crustaceans — have sky-rocketed since the diplomatic fight went public, with suspicions in Beijing that the vast majority end up on mainland tables.

Louise Ho was announced as the city’s new customs commissioner on Thursday, the first woman to hold the position, and she immediately set our her aim to tackle anyone trading in lobsters across the border.

AFP reports during her inaugural press conference, she explained why lobsters were one of her priorities when it comes to safeguarding China’s national security.

“On the surface, it is a simple matter of smuggling lobsters, but these activities undermine our country’s trade restrictions against Australia,” Ho told reporters. “Stopping lobster smuggling is a very important part of protecting national security, so we will pursue it diligently.”

Smuggling goods by speedboat has been a mainstay of the triad organised crime gangs operating on both sides of the border for years but the phenomenon has surged during the coronavirus pandemic, AFP outlined.