china in spat with belgium over racing pigeons

[onionkiller]

China in spat with Belgium over
racing pigeons
Saibal Dasgupta,TNN & Agencies |
Oct 1, 2013, 06.55AM IST
BEIJING: China and Belgium are
engaged in a trade spat after China
impounded several Belgian racing
pigeons bought by Chinese
enthusiasts at a high price, 1200 of
which are still in custody.
Belgium's ambassador and foreign
office is now negotiating with
Chinese authorities to free the birds.
One of the birds nicknamed Bolt
after the Olympian sprinter Usain
Bolt and was bought by a Chinese
enthusiast for $419,800. It is being
regarded as the world's most
expensive pigeon. The Chinese
customs has valued most of the
other pigeons at $134 each.
China released and "deported" 400
birds including Bolt following
negotiations between the two sides.
Chinese authorities are insisting
that the caged birds be sent back
only after customs duty and value
added tax is paid on them. Import
duties are 10% of the value while
value added tax is 13%, meaning
China was due around $101,541 for
Bolt alone.
Chinese authorities have said the
birds were declared at only nominal
values, meaning China would be
losing out massively on tax and
import duties.
The government accepted a small
amount as "symbolic payment" for
the first batch of 400 pigeons but is
asking for full payment for the
remaining 1200.
China's Communist Party imposed a
ban on a set of hobbies including
pigeon keeping that reflected what
it saw as bourgeois decadence years
back. Though the pigeon racing
hobby has made a return following
China's economic success, the
government still disallows flying the
bird over what it regards as sensitive
areas.
These include Beijing and over
places where sensitive meetings or
events are underway. Fears caused
by bird flu had further prompted the
government to crack down on pigeon
keeping although the hobby is still
being quietly practiced by the
wealthy.
The pigeon racing association in
Beijing Changping district said after
a survey that there were 300,000
pigeon keepers in China in the
nineties and the number has
increased substantially since then.
Pigeon racing fetch high prizes going
upto $2.3 million.
source. timesofindia.com

 

[S10]

Since these people have too much money, they should fork over more in sales tax.

 

[jhungary]

I actually don't see what's wrong with the Chinese government on this.

If those bird were bought from Belgium for 400Gs, then you should pay import tax for that value, not just the normal price as those are not normal bird

If you do this in Australia, you would have gone to jail for custom tariff evasion