China decides to ban all imports of Japanese seafood 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.
Japan Counts The Costs
China had said in June that it would resume importing Japanese seafood products from all but 10 of Japan’s 47 prefectures.
The re-imposition will be a painful blow for many companies eager to re-enter a market that previously accounted for more than a fifth of all Japan’s seafood exports.
Nearly 700 Japanese exporters had applied to re-register 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.
Academic, Cultural Exchanges Cancelled
An annual meeting of scholars from both countries due to start in Beijing on Saturday has also been postponed, China’s foreign ministry said.
An event promoting Japan–China friendship scheduled for November 21 in the western Japanese city of Hiroshima has also been cancelled.
China has suspended the screenings of upcoming Japanese films, and Japanese celebrities popular there have tried to pre-empt any potential backlash with messages showing their support for China.
(With inputs from Reuters)
