China to suspend seafood imports from Japan amid tensions over Taiwan
Baku, November 19, AZERTAC
China has told Japan it will suspend imports of its seafood products amid diplomatic tensions triggered by the Japanese prime minister’s remarks on Taiwan, which sparked a backlash in Beijing, according to Anadolu Agency.
Citing Japanese government sources, Tokyo-based Kyodo News reported Wednesday that Beijing conveyed to Tokyo that it will suspend imports of Japanese seafood.
Japan had previously promised to fulfill its regulatory responsibilities to ensure product quality and safety for aquatic products, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told a news conference in Beijing.
“This is the precondition for the export of Japanese aquatic products to China, but Japan currently does not fulfill its obligation of supervision and does not provide the basic materials,” Mao said.
The suspension comes amid diplomatic tensions between the two countries after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Nov. 7 that any Chinese military action against Taiwan could qualify as a "survival-threatening situation," enabling Japan to "exercise its right to collective self-defense."
Beijing slammed the statement, urging Tokyo to retract the remarks.
“I would like to stress that recently, the remarks made by the Japanese prime minister have triggered the outrage of the Chinese people," said Mao.
"Under the current circumstances, even if Japanese seafood were exported to China, there would be no market for it," Mao said, according to Beijing-based daily Global Times.
Mao urged Tokyo to retract the “wrongful remarks” of Takaichi, and take “concrete actions to safeguard the political foundation of the bilateral relations.”
“If Japan refuses to retract those remarks, China will take serious countermeasures and all the consequences will be borne by the Japanese side,” she warned.
Beijing's decision comes just days after Japanese Farm Minister Norikazu Suzuki said that Japan had resumed seafood exports to China for the first time since Beijing imposed a blanket ban in 2023 over the release of treated radioactive wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
Advice against Japan travel
China has advised its citizens against visiting Japan, while Japan's top government spokesman, Minoru Kihara, on Tuesday stressed that Tokyo is "open to all kinds of dialogue" with Beijing.
Thousands of Chinese travelers have canceled plans to visit Japan amid the ongoing tensions, while Beijing has also suspended the release of Japanese movies in China.
After Takaichi's remarks, Chinese Consul General in Osaka Xue Jian had written on US social media company X that he would "cut a dirty neck without a moment of hesitation," triggering a protest by Tokyo.
Japan sent its top Asian affairs diplomat, Masaaki Kanai, to Beijing and during talks on Tuesday rejected the basis of China's travel alert, saying that Japan’s public safety situation “is not deteriorating.”
He also lodged a protest over Xue's social media comments, which have been removed now.
Separately, Japan's Embassy in Beijing also called on Japanese nationals in China "to work to secure their safety ... in view of the situation, including local media reports about the recent bilateral ties.”
Japanese top government spokesman Minoru Kihara has stressed that Tokyo continues to uphold the 1972 joint communiqué, under which Japan recognized China and stated it “fully understands and respects” Beijing’s position that Taiwan is an “inalienable part” of its territory.
Japan totally unqualified for UNSC
Addressing the UN General Assembly's plenary meeting on Security Council reform on Tuesday, Chinese Ambassador Fu Cong said Japan "is totally unqualified" to seek a permanent seat on the Council (UNSC).
Takaichi's remarks on Taiwan "are extremely erroneous and dangerous," said Fu, according to an official transcript of his statement.
"They are an affront to international justice, damage the post-war international order, trample on the basic norms of international relations, and represent a blatant departure from Japan's commitment to peaceful development. Such a country is totally unqualified to seek a permanent seat on the Security Council," said the top Chinese diplomat at the world body.
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