China stops seafood imports from Japan, links move to Fukushima water

China has notified Japan that it will suspend imports of Japanese seafood, citing the need to monitor the treated radioactive water being released from the Fukushima nuclear plant, Kyodo News reported.

 

Beijing resumed purchasing marine products from Tokyo just earlier this month, after it lifted a blanket import ban, which was imposed in August 2023, after the water discharge began. China had imposed a ban on Japanese seafood to signal its strong opposition to the discharge of treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. However, both countries agreed in June to begin lifting the restrictions in stages.

 

Beijing’s latest move appears to stem from its desire to steady relations with Tokyo, ties that have long been affected by territorial disputes and unresolved wartime issues, at a time when China’s rivalry with the United States and trade frictions under President Donald Trump continue to intensify, Kyodo News reported.

 

 

Before the embargo was introduced in 2023, China and Hong Kong together made up more than one-third of Japan’s total seafood exports, based on 2022 government data, the South China Morning Post reported. 

 

China-Japan tensions

 

The development comes at a time when the diplomatic ties between the two countries have been strained after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told the country's parliament on November 7 that an attack on the Taiwan Strait could constitute a "survival-threatening situation", justifying the deployment of the military.

 

Following Takaichi's remarks, tensions between the two countries have escalated, with Beijing cancelling a series of events and condemning her statement. China accused her of "meddling" in the country's internal affairs and sought a retraction of the comment, and described the comment as “seriously damaging bilateral ties and challenging post-war international order".

 

On Tuesday, the Japanese embassy in Beijing posted an advisory for its citizens in China, advising them to be vigilant when stepping out and steering clear of crowded locations and places that are frequently visited by other Japanese nationals. 

 

Beijing's response to the diplomatic rift

 

Besides cancelling a series of events, Beijing also issued a travel warning for Japan, with many Chinese airlines offering full refunds to those who planned to visit between noon on Saturday and the end of the year. The education ministry advised the students, who had plans to study in Japan, to reconsider their decision.

 

According to a South China Morning Post report, Yuyuan Tantian, a social media handle affiliated with state broadcaster CCTV, reported over the weekend that China has prepared “substantive countermeasures.”

 

These could involve placing Japanese firms on an “unreliable entities list” or halting various intergovernmental engagements, including those related to economic, diplomatic, or military cooperation.