China to halt Japan seafood imports amid Taiwan spat

TOKYO: China will suspend Japanese seafood imports, media in Tokyo reported Wednesday as a row sparked by comments about Taiwan deepens, although neither government confirmed the move.

The uneasy neighbours’ most serious spat since 2012 was triggered by new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggesting on November 7 that Tokyo could intervene militarily in any attack on Taiwan.

China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory, has been furious, summoning Tokyo’s ambassador and advising its citizens against travel to Japan.

The release of at least two Japanese movies will also be postponed in China, according to state media.

Reporting the suspension of seafood imports, Japanese media, including public broadcaster NHK, cited unnamed government sources.

China explained the move as necessary to monitor treated wastewater being released from the stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant, NHK said.

China had only recently resumed purchasing some marine products from Japan following an earlier ban imposed after the Fukushima operation began in 2023.

The UN atomic agency said the release of the equivalent of 540 Olympic pools’ worth of cooling water collected since a tsunami crippled the facility in 2011 was safe. But Beijing has accused Japan of treating the Pacific as a “sewer”.

Beijing’s foreign ministry did not confirm the latest reported suspension when asked on Wednesday.

Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told a regular news conference: “Under the current circumstances, even if Japanese seafood were exported to China, there would not be a market.”