"China Notifies WTO of Suspension on Japanese Seafood Imports"

On the 2nd, Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun reported that the Chinese government notified the World Trade Organization (WTO) on the 31st of last month about its decision to impose a complete ban on imports of Japanese seafood in response to Japan's discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the ocean.

In the WTO notification, China stated that the "(import suspension measure) is an emergency action to effectively protect public life and health and to fully suppress risks," and claimed that "(the discharge of contaminated water) poses uncontrollable risks to public health and food safety."

Under the WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement), member countries are required to notify other members when taking measures that significantly affect trade. Yomiuri reported that Japan plans to counter these claims at future SPS Committee meetings and other forums.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Japanese government continues to criticize China's claims that the discharge of contaminated water adversely affects humans and the marine environment.

The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs rebutted the claim made by Wu Jianghao, the Chinese Ambassador to Japan, on the Chinese Embassy in Japan’s website that other countries are not participating in the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)'s monitoring of the contaminated water, stating that "analysis agencies from the United States, France, Switzerland, and South Korea are participating, making it international and objective."

Regarding Ambassador Wu’s questioning of the data published by Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the ministry emphasized that "the reliability of the data is reviewed by the IAEA, and Chinese experts also participate in the review, providing a basis for China’s professional insight."

Concerning the impact of the contaminated water discharge, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained that "after a thorough evaluation considering marine diffusion, biological concentration, and long-term accumulation according to international standards, the impact is negligible," and noted that this is clearly stated in the IAEA’s report.

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