China: "Necessary Measures to Be Taken if Japan Discharges Contaminated Water"... Suggests Additional Regulations

Hong Kong Announces Immediate Implementation of Japanese Seafood Import Controls

The Chinese government is expected to impose additional restrictions on imports of Japanese food products. This comes as Japan plans to begin discharging contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean on the 24th.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a regular briefing on the 22nd that when asked whether new regulatory measures were being considered in response to Japan's formal decision to discharge the water, "Relevant departments will take necessary measures to ensure food safety and protect the health of the Chinese people." Wang did not specify what measures would be taken, but it is anticipated that the level or scope of import restrictions may be increased.

According to Japan's Kyodo News, Chinese customs began comprehensive radiation inspections on imported Japanese seafood last month. The inspections can take several weeks, making it difficult to maintain the freshness of seafood, leading some importers to give up on importing Japanese products, the media reported.

John Lee, Chief Executive of Hong Kong, strongly opposed Japan's discharge of contaminated water through a post on his Facebook page on the same day, stating, "We will immediately implement controls on imports of Japanese seafood." He referred to the contaminated water as "nuclear wastewater" and emphasized that discharging it is irresponsible. He pointed out that the discharge poses enormous risks to food safety and causes irreversible pollution and destruction to the marine environment. He also said he instructed the Secretary for Environment and related departments to immediately activate import control measures on Japanese seafood for food safety and public health.

Earlier last month, the Hong Kong government announced that if Japan discharges the contaminated water, it would immediately ban imports of seafood from 10 prefectures in Japan, including Tokyo. Hong Kong had banned imports of agricultural products from Fukushima and nearby prefectures such as Chiba, Gunma, Ibaraki, and Tochigi immediately after the Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011.

China and Hong Kong are the first and second largest export markets for Japanese agricultural and marine products. Last year, Japan exported seafood worth 75.5 billion yen (approximately 70 billion KRW) to Hong Kong.

Despite China's opposition, the Japanese government plans to begin discharging contaminated water from Fukushima as early as the 24th. After a cabinet meeting on the day, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said regarding the timing of the discharge, "If there are no disruptions such as weather, we expect it to be on the 24th," and added, "I believe that broad understanding and support from various regions and countries are being expressed based on the scientific evidence provided by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and that accurate understanding within the international community is spreading."

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