Tokyo (EFE).- China has notified Japan it will suspend imports of Japanese seafood, a Japanese government source told the Kyodo news agency on Wednesday, just two weeks after Beijing partially resumed purchases and amid escalating bilateral tensions over Taiwan.
Japan began exporting seafood to China again on Nov. 7 after Beijing partially lifted the ban it imposed in August 2023, when Japan started releasing treated and diluted wastewater from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. The plant was crippled by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
The renewed suspension—still not confirmed by Chinese authorities—signals continued strain between the two countries following recent comments by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggesting Japan could intervene if conflict breaks out over Taiwan.
According to details reported by Japan’s public broadcaster NHK, Chinese authorities told their Japanese counterparts that the new suspension would be tied to Beijing’s stated interest in monitoring the Fukushima water release.
Beijing agreed in June to resume imports of Japanese fish and seafood, except from 10 of Japan’s 47 prefectures, including Fukushima and Miyagi, two areas heavily affected by the 2011 disaster.
Tokyo welcomed that decision at the time, though it had urged Beijing to restore all seafood imports, which are critical for the fishing industry in northeastern Japan.
The latest turn comes during a renewed spike in Japan–China tensions. Takaichi’s remarks, made during her first month in office, have triggered a diplomatic rift that has also begun affecting sectors such as tourism, education and entertainment, with both countries facing online calls for boycotts. EFE
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