A potential breakthrough in the long-standing dispute over Japanese seafood imports may be in sight as China signals its openness to resuming imports following an agreement with Tokyo regarding the discharge of treated wastewater from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant, Bloomberg reports, citing Chinese media reports.
The move comes after Japan proposed an international monitoring system that would allow China and other countries to inspect the treated water released from the plant. This system, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, will provide “comprehensive, true and effective data in a timely manner” and prevent the discharge of any water that does not meet safety standards.
China, however, maintains its firm opposition to the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water into the sea, emphasizing the need for independent sampling and monitoring activities before the gradual resumption of seafood imports.
The potential thaw in relations comes just a day after a tragic incident involving a 10-year-old Japanese child who was stabbed in Shenzhen, China. This incident, coupled with the ongoing seafood ban, has underscored the strained relationship between Tokyo and Beijing, marred by historical resentments and a territorial dispute.
Tokyo is currently engaged in discussions with China and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) concerning the testing of seawater near the Fukushima plant. Japan’s top government spokesman, Yoshimasa Hayashi, has confirmed China’s interest in the monitoring framework but declined to provide further details.
Japanese media outlets, including Kyodo News, Nikkei, and Sankei, report that Japan expects the establishment of the international monitoring system to pave the way for Beijing to partially or fully lift its ban on seafood imports.
Following a phone call between Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi on Friday, an arrangement to expand the testing program is expected to be announced. Sankei further reports that Japan and China are close to finalizing an agreement for the resumption of seafood exports to China.
The move comes nearly a year after Japan began releasing treated radioactive water from the Fukushima plant into the sea. China, along with other nations, imposed a ban on Japanese seafood imports, citing safety concerns. However, regular seawater testing since the release began has not detected levels of radiation that would pose a risk to human health, according to both the IAEA and the Japanese government.
