China bans Japanese seafood imports over row on Taiwan

TOKYO/BEIJING, November 20 ------ China has informed Japan that it will ban all imports of Japanese seafood, media outlets reported, in what appeared to be the latest salvo in an escalating diplomatic dispute between the East Asian neighbors.

Tensions between the two countries ignited after new Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said earlier 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.

Asked about the reports at a press conference, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Mao Ning said: “Under the current circumstances, even if Japanese seafood were to be exported to China, it would find no market.” She reiterated that if Takaichi did not retract her remarks, China would have to take “stern and resolute” countermeasures.

Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told reporters that Tokyo had not received any notification from Beijing about a seafood ban. China just months ago partially eased restrictions on Japanese seafood that had been imposed due to Tokyo’s decision two years ago to release treated wastewater from its Fukushima power plant, the site of a March 2011 nuclear meltdown that followed a massive earthquake and tsunami. China has told Japan that the ban’s reimposition was due to the need for further monitoring of the water release, the Japan Broadcasting Corp. and Kyodo News reported, citing sources.

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.

Japan counts cost of dispute

China had said in June it would resume importing Japanese seafood products from all but 10 of Japan’s 47 prefectures. The reimposition will be a painful blow for many companies eager to reenter a market that previously accounted for more than a fifth of all of Japan’s seafood exports. Nearly 700 Japanese exporters had applied to reregister for shipments to China, Japanese Agriculture Minister Norikazu Suzuki told reporters on Tuesday.

However, only three had been approved to date.

Before the 2023 ban, China was Japan’s top scallop buyer and a major importer of sea cucumbers. More immediately, China’s travel boycott could have far-reaching consequences for Japan’s shaky economy.

Tourism accounts for around 7 percent of Japan’s overall gross domestic product, the World Travel & Tourism Council said, and has been a major driver of growth in recent years. Visitors from mainland China and Hong Kong account for around a fifth of all arrivals, official figures show. More than 10 Chinese airlines have offered refunds on Japan-bound routes until Dec. 31, with one airline analyst estimating that around 500,000 tickets have already been canceled.

Japanese comedians, bands cancel shows

An annual meeting of academics from both countries due to start in Beijing on Saturday has been postponed, China’s foreign ministry said, citing the political fallout. Another event promoting Japan-China friendship scheduled for Nov. 21 in the western Japanese city of Hiroshima has also been canceled. Japanese artists have also been caught up in the furor.

Performances by Japanese comedians at an upcoming festival in the eastern Chinese city of Shanghai have been canceled due to “unavoidable circumstances,” entertainment firm Yoshimoto Kogyo said on Tuesday. Screenings of upcoming Japanese films in China have also been suspended, while a Japanese boy band canceled a fan event in the southern city of Guangzhou earlier this week, citing “force majeure.”

Source: manilatimes.net