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China has announced a complete ban on all Japani Seafood imports are fueling a diplomatic row between the two Asian economic powers.
This decision has been taken after the recent comments of the new Prime Minister of Japan. Sanae TakaichiWho said earlier this month that if a Chinese attack on Taiwan threatened Japan’s existence, a military response could be provoked.
Beijing has since sought to retract these comments and advised its citizens not to travel to Japan. This has led to mass travel cancellations, threatening to have a significant economic impact on the world’s fourth-largest economy.
Latest problem point for Japan A few months ago, Beijing partially eased restrictions on Japanese seafood that were imposed due to Tokyo’s decision to release treated wastewater from its Fukushima nuclear power plant in 2023.
Kyodo news agency quoted sources as saying that China has told Japan that reimposing the ban is due to the need to monitor water releases.
China’s commerce ministry and customs administration did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. Representatives from Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries were not immediately available for comment.
Japan warned its citizens in China on Monday to step up safety precautions and avoid crowded places, facing sharp reactions from Chinese state media over a Chinese diplomat and Takaichi.
Tokyo has said Takachi’s comments in parliament are in line with the government’s position, suggesting a breakthrough is not imminent.
China said in June it would resume imports of Japanese seafood products from all but 10 of Japan’s 47 prefectures.
Reimposing it would be a painful blow to many companies eager to re-enter a market that previously accounted for more than a fifth of all Japan’s seafood exports.
Japanese Agriculture Minister Norikazu Suzuki told reporters on Tuesday that about 700 Japanese exporters had applied to re-register for shipments to China. However, only three had been approved to date.
Before the 2023 ban, China was Japan’s top scallop buyer and a major importer of sea cucumbers.
More immediately, China’s travel boycott could have far-reaching consequences for Japan’s shaky economy.
Tourism According to World Travel & Travel, it accounts for about 7% of Japan’s total GDP. Tourism The Council is, and has been, a major driver of growth in recent years. According to official figures, the number of tourists coming from mainland China and Hong Kong accounts for about one-fifth of total arrivals.
More than 10 Chinese airlines have offered refunds on routes to Japan through Dec. 31, with one airline analyst estimating that about 500,000 tickets have already been canceled.
A person at a state-owned Chinese bank said employees were informally told by managers on Tuesday that requests for travel to Japan would not be approved for the time being. The person declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter.
China’s Foreign Ministry said the annual meeting of scholars from the two countries, scheduled to begin in Beijing on Saturday, has also been postponed.
An event promoting Japan/China friendship scheduled for November 21 in the western Japanese city of Hiroshima has also been cancelled.
China has suspended screenings of upcoming Japanese films, and popular Japanese celebrities there have tried to preempt any potential backlash with messages showing their support for China.
“China is like my second homeland to me, and all my friends in China are my beloved family,” Japanese singer Mariah wrote on Weibo on Tuesday. I will always support One China.