According to local media outlets, China has notified Japan that it will halt all imports of Japanese seafood, intensifying the ongoing diplomatic standoff between the two largest economies in Asia.
The strain escalated following recent remarks by new Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who stated earlier this month that a Chinese attack on Taiwan posing an existential threat to Japan could trigger a military response from Tokyo.
In reaction, Beijing has called for a retraction from Takaichi and advised Chinese citizens against travel to Japan, sparking widespread cancellations and potentially inflicting significant damage on Japan’s economy.
This latest trade setback follows a brief period during which Beijing had only recently relaxed some of the restrictions on Japanese seafood. Those limitations were initially imposed after Japan began releasing treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear facility in 2023.
Citing a need for further scrutiny over the water release, China conveyed to Japan its intention to reinstate the ban, according to Kyodo News, referencing sources familiar with the matter.
Confronted by a barrage of criticism in Chinese state media and pointed remarks from a Chinese diplomat in Tokyo, Japan has urged its own citizens in China to heighten their vigilance and avoid crowded areas.
Japanese authorities, for their part, have maintained that Takaichi’s remarks in parliament are consistent with the official government position, signaling little likelihood of a resolution in the near future.
In June, Beijing stated it would allow seafood imports from all but 10 Japanese prefectures. However, the renewed import ban hampers hopes among Japanese exporters seeking to regain access to a key market that once represented over 20% of Japan’s seafood exports.
Japanese Agriculture Minister Norikazu Suzuki noted on Tuesday that nearly 700 exporters had reapplied for shipment approvals to China, but thus far, only three have received authorization.
