China to halt Japan seafood imports amid Taiwan spat: reports
It was reported in Tokyo media on Wednesday that China will suspend imports of Japanese seafood following the diplomatic row that started with comments about Taiwan deepening.
The debate was triggered when new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested on November 7 that Tokyo could intervene militarily against any attack on Taiwan.
China, which claims Taiwan is part of its territory, reacted angrily.
Last week, China summoned its ambassador to Tokyo and advised its citizens not to travel to Japan and those studying there to be careful.
The release of at least two Japanese films will also be postponed in China, according to state media.
Japanese media reporting the suspension of seafood imports cited unnamed government sources, including public broadcaster NHK.
NHK said China explained the move was necessary to monitor treated wastewater from the stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant.
There was no immediate confirmation from Beijing.
China had only recently resumed buying seafood from Japan, following an earlier ban imposed after the Fukushima plant began releasing water in 2023.
The statement was backed by the UN atomic agency and plant operator TEPCO said all radioactive elements had been filtered out except tritium, whose levels were within safe limits.
However, Beijing accused Japan of viewing the Pacific as a “sewage” and banned imports of Japanese seafood.
Later, Russia followed the same path.
Seafood shipments to mainland China in 2023 accounted for 15.6 percent of the total of 390 billion yen ($2.5 billion), down from 22.5 percent in 2022.
In 2023, Hong Kong accounted for 26.1 percent and the United States 15.7 percent.
Japan’s agriculture ministry and foreign ministry, which oversees the fisheries agency, could not immediately be reached for comment when contacted by AFP.
– ‘Strong protest’ –
China and Japan, key trading partners, have seen ties frayed in recent years due to regional rivalries and military spending.
Japan warned its citizens in China on Monday to be aware of their surroundings and avoid large crowds.
Beijing vowed on Tuesday to “protect the security” of foreigners in China but said it had once again lodged a “strong protest” with Tokyo over Takaichi’s comments.
Masaaki Kanai, Japan’s top foreign ministry official in charge of Asia-Pacific affairs, met with his Chinese counterpart Liu Jinsong in Beijing on Tuesday in an attempt to defuse the row.
“During the talks, China once again lodged a strong protest with Japan over Takaichi’s erroneous remarks,” Beijing foreign ministry spokesman Mao Ning said.
“Takaichi’s misconceptions seriously violate international law and basic norms governing international relations,” Mao said, adding that the prime minister’s comments “fundamentally damaged the political foundation of China-Japan relations.”
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