China Conducts Radiation Tests on All Japanese Seafood... Pressure to Halt Contaminated Water Discharge

Full Inspection Starts This Month
Kishida "Calls for Scientific Discussion"
Contaminated Water Issue May Cause Diplomatic Conflict

The Chinese government has taken the suspension of imports of Japanese seafood as a card to block Japan's plan to discharge contaminated water. The Japanese government stated that it would engage in discussions with China based on scientific evidence in response to China's actions, raising concerns that the contaminated water issue could escalate into a diplomatic conflict between the two countries.

On the 19th, Japan's public broadcaster NHK reported that from this month, Chinese customs have begun comprehensive radiation inspections on Japanese seafood. Since the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident in 2011, China has banned imports of food and seafood produced in 12 prefectures and regions in Japan, including Fukushima Prefecture. However, for seafood from regions outside these areas, only a certificate of origin is required, with no additional prohibitive measures.

Japanese local media viewed this measure as an attempt to pressure the Japanese government, which is determined to proceed with the discharge of contaminated water. The value of seafood exports from Japan to China last year was 87.1 billion yen (approximately 79.24 billion KRW), making China the largest export market among all countries.

Already, some companies in Japan's seafood export sector are suffering damages due to the comprehensive radiation inspections. Refrigerated seafood takes two weeks for customs clearance, and frozen products take a month. Adding radiation inspections makes it impossible to guarantee the quality of the seafood. Concerned about this, Chinese importers are reluctant to import Japanese seafood, causing losses to Japanese companies.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida
Photo by Yonhap News

The Japanese government, feeling the urgency, has opposed this situation and taken a confrontational stance. On the 18th, during a press conference in Qatar on the last day of his Middle East tour, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida emphasized, "We will strongly demand discussions based on scientific evidence." He added, "The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) concluded in its comprehensive report that the (marine discharge plan) complies with international safety standards."

On the same day, Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura criticized China for not responding to dialogue based on scientific evidence. He said, "We have repeatedly requested the Chinese government to create opportunities for communication from a scientific perspective," adding, "China has not yet responded."

As the two countries engage in sharp exchanges, there are growing prospects that the contaminated water issue could lead to diplomatic conflict. On the 15th, the Yomiuri Shimbun pointed out, "China is opposing Japan's plan to use the contaminated water issue as a new 'diplomatic card' to challenge Japan." The Sankei Shimbun also criticized on the 14th, saying, "Compared to the South Korean government, China's reaction is excessive," and "China is launching unilateral attacks by describing Japan's contaminated water as nuclear pollutants and the like."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.