A year after China imposed a ban on Japanese seafood, the doors remain firmly shut, reports The Japan Times.
The effects of the ban, which came into force on Aug. 24, 2023, are reverberating across both countries, with no resolution in sight. This was China's protest against Japan's discharge of treated water from the crippled Fukushima 1 nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean.
Despite Tokyo's assurances that the water is safe, containing only trace amounts of radioactive tritium, Chinese officials continue to label it as "nuclear-contaminated water."
High-level talks between Tokyo and Beijing have been ongoing, but progress has been elusive. During a recent meeting, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi reiterated Beijing's demand for an international monitoring system to oversee the water release, a stance Japan has so far resisted.
According to Chinese trade statistics, Japan's fishery exports to China have plummeted to zero, with the sole exception of aquarium fish. The embargo has forced restaurants across China to seek alternative suppliers.
China's own fishery industry has not been spared from the repercussions. A seafood market in Zhoushan, China's largest fishing port, has seen a sharp decline in buyers. Despite government reassurances that Chinese seafood undergoes strict radiation inspections, public confidence has been shaken.
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