Italy stopped all flights between the country and Taiwan, China as well as Hong Kong and Macau on 31 January to stop the spread of the virus.

"Deletion of recognition of Italy as a country free of African swine fever," a statement published by the Taiwan's Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine said.

Rome's flight ban did not play well in Taipei which summoned Italy's representative Davide Giglio to urge a speedy resumption of flights.

Beijing was also not happy with the ban and has lobbied to have it lifted but so far with no success.

Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said earlier this month that the block on flights was an emergency measure.

"We will keep it in place as long as health authorities and ... the scientific community tell us we should."

Taiwan's imports of commercial goods from Italy amounted to $2.6 billion in 2019 with machinery, chemical products, leather, vehicles and textiles leading the list, according to the Taipei's representative office in Rome.

The website of Taiwan's state-owned Central News Agency reported the Taiwan government as saying: "After conducting a rolling assessment of the international outbreak of African swine fever, the bureau has concluded that the epidemic on the Italian island of Sardinia is escalating."