TOKYO/BEIJING: China has moved to close off all Japanese seafood imports, deepening an already risky diplomatic conflict that has rattled political ties, disrupted journey and now threatens a key section of Japan’s export financial system.
Media shops reported on November 19 that Beijing knowledgeable Tokyo of the brand new ban, which marks a pointy escalation in tensions following feedback by newly elected Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. Earlier this month, Takaichi stated {that a} Chinese assault on Taiwan threatening Japan’s survival might immediate a army response, remarks China has demanded she withdraw.
Beijing has since urged its residents to keep away from travelling to Japan, triggering a wave of cancellations that might weigh closely on the world’s fourth-largest financial system.
The ban additionally reverses progress made simply months in the past, when China partially eased restrictions it had imposed after Japan launched handled wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant in 2023. According to Kyodo news company, China instructed Japan the renewed ban was because of the want for additional monitoring of the water discharge.
China’s commerce ministry and customs administration didn’t instantly reply to queries. Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries additionally couldn’t be reached.
The backlash towards Takaichi has intensified in latest days. Following harsh criticism from a Chinese diplomat in Tokyo and state media assaults, Japan warned its residents in China on Monday to take additional precautions and keep away from crowded areas. Tokyo maintains that Takaichi’s remarks in parliament align with present authorities coverage, suggesting little room for a diplomatic reset.
China had stated in June that it could resume seafood imports from all however 10 of Japan’s 47 prefectures. The full re-imposition of the ban now offers a significant blow to Japanese exporters wanting to re-enter what was as soon as one in every of their most essential markets. Before the 2023 restrictions, China was Japan’s greatest scallop purchaser and a significant importer of sea cucumbers.
Japanese Agriculture Minister Norikazu Suzuki stated practically 700 exporters had utilized to re-register for shipments to China, however solely three had been accepted to this point.
The influence isn’t restricted to seafood. China’s casual journey boycott might have vital penalties for Japan’s fragile financial system. Tourism contributes roughly 7 p.c of the nation’s GDP, and guests from mainland China and Hong Kong account for round one-fifth of all arrivals.
More than 10 Chinese airways have supplied refunds on Japan-bound flights via December 31. One airline analyst estimated that 500,000 tickets have already been cancelled. A employees member at a state-owned Chinese financial institution stated staff have been instructed on Tuesday that requests to journey to Japan wouldn’t be accepted for now.
The diplomatic rift can also be spilling into tutorial and cultural exchanges. China’s international ministry stated an annual assembly of students set to start in Beijing on Saturday has been postponed. An occasion selling Japan–China friendship, scheduled for November 21 in Hiroshima, was likewise cancelled.
China has suspended screenings of upcoming Japanese movies, and a few Japanese entertainers with massive Chinese fan bases have responded by publicly supporting Beijing.
“China is like my second homeland to me, and all my friends in China are my cherished family — I will always support One China,” Japanese singer MARiA wrote on Weibo.