China partially abolishes ban on Japanese seafood imports, facilitating Fukushima’s wastewater dispute

China and Japan are key trading partners, but increased friction over territorial rivals and military costs have stepped up ties in recent years.

Japanese brutal occupation of parts of China before and during World War II remains a painful point, with Beijing accusing Tokyo of failing to deal with his past.

Japan began to gradually release the treated wastewater from the affected Fukushima nuclear power plant in the Pacific Ocean in 2023.

The move was supported by the International Atomic Energy Agency and Tepco plant operator says all radioactive elements are filtered, except for tritium, whose levels are in safe limits.

But it drew sharp criticism from Beijing, which banned the import of Japanese seafood as a result. Russia later followed the lawsuit.

Samples of long -term monitoring of Fukushima’s nuclear polluted water “have shown no abnormalities”, according to a statement by the Customs Administration in China in a statement on Sunday.

As a result, China “decided to continue to continue” Seafood imports from Japan, with the exception of imports of 10 out of 47 prefectures in the country, including Fukushima and Tokyo, which remain banned.

The Japanese government has won the “positively” decision, said Kazuhiko Aoki, a deputy secretary of office, told reporters in Tokyo.

But Japan “will strongly ask the Chinese side of the lift for remaining regulations for import of seafood of 10 prefectures,” he added.

Japanese Agriculture Minister Gindjiro Koizumi also called the Chinese move “a big turning point”.

In 2011

China loudly opposed the release of wastewater treated, throwing it as environmentally irresponsible. But in September last year, it is said that it will “gradually continue” with seafood imports.

Production companies that have suspended trade must be reacted to registration in China and will be “strictly” supervised, the Beijing Customs Administration said Sunday.