Beijing, China — In a spirited response, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, has dismissed U.S. claims that Chinese garlic poses a “major threat” to American food security. The allegations, which have been widely mocked by Chinese internet users, were criticized as baseless and an example of overblown rhetoric.
U.S. Senator Rick Scott recently called for a Section 301 investigation into Chinese garlic, labeling it a significant threat to the U.S. Additionally, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the “National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025,” including a provision to ban the sale of Chinese garlic in military stores.
“Who would have thought that garlic could be considered a major threat to the United States?” Mao Ning quipped at a press conference. She pointed out a growing pattern of the U.S. identifying everyday Chinese products—from drones and cranes to refrigerators and now garlic—as national security risks. “The reasons given by these politicians just don’t hold water,” she added.
Mao accused the U.S. of using these claims as a pretext for protectionism and for attempting to suppress China’s development. “Politicizing and weaponizing economic and technological issues will only create more problems in global supply chains and ultimately hurt people worldwide,” she warned.
She called on U.S. politicians to “show more rationality and common sense” to avoid becoming subjects of ridicule.
Reference(s):
Spokesperson: Garlic not imagined as a major threat to the U.S.
cgtn.com
