TOKYO: China informed Japan on Wednesday (Nov 19) that it will ban all imports of Japanese seafood, media outlets reported – a decision which comes amid an escalating diplomatic dispute between Asia’s top two economies.
Tensions between the two countries ignited after new Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said this month that a Chinese attack on Taiwan threatening Japan’s survival could trigger a military response.
China has demanded she retract the remarks and urged its citizens not to travel to Japan, resulting in mass cancellations that could deal a sizable blow to the world’s fourth-largest economy.
The latest pain point for Japan comes after Beijing, just months ago, partially eased restrictions on Japanese seafood that had been imposed due to Tokyo’s decision to release treated wastewater from its Fukushima nuclear power plant in 2023.
China has told Japan that the re-imposition of the ban was due to the need for further monitoring of the water release, Kyodo news agency reported, citing sources.
China’s commerce ministry and customs administration did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. Representatives for Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries were not immediately available for comment.
Facing a wave of vitriolic responses by a Chinese diplomat in Japan and Chinese state media aimed at Takaichi, Japan warned its citizens in China on Monday to step up safety precautions and avoid crowded places.
Tokyo has said Takaichi’s remarks in parliament are in line with the government’s position, suggesting no breakthrough is imminent.
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