"Japan to Demand Lifting of Seafood Import Ban on China at WTO as Well"

The Japanese government plans to demand the immediate repeal of China's notification to the World Trade Organization (WTO) regarding the complete import ban on Japanese seafood following the discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (referred to by the Japanese government as "treated water"), Yomiuri Shimbun reported on the 3rd.

Yomiuri Shimbun reported that the Japanese government has decided to strengthen its response to China, which criticizes the ocean discharge, following China's notification of the import ban to the WTO.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs first issued a statement on the 1st, rebutting a post on the website of the Chinese Embassy in Japan by demanding that "inappropriate expressions not be used."

Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant contaminated water discharge facility, revealed to correspondents on the 27th of last month. The pipeline sending seawater-diluted contaminated water to a large tank (right) [Image source=Yonhap News]

The Chinese Embassy's post pointed out that ▲the radioactive material measurement data currently announced by Japan is mainly collected by Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), which has a history of numerous false reports, casting doubt on its credibility, and ▲that international monitoring is conducted only within the framework of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), using the IAEA as a shield, resulting in a lack of transparency.

In response, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs rebutted each point, stating that the reliability of TEPCO's published data is "evaluated by the IAEA, with participation from Chinese experts."

Yomiuri reported that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also posted statements from various governments supporting Japan's position and countering China's claims on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), using the hashtag '#StopFukeiHigai' (meaning 'stop reputational damage').

Earlier, on the 31st of last month, China notified the WTO of its import ban on Japanese seafood, stating that "(the discharge of contaminated water) poses uncontrollable risks to public health and food safety."

The WTO's Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement mandates notification to member countries when measures significantly affecting trade are taken.

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