US Ambassador to Japan: "Purchase of Japanese Seafood for US Forces in Japan... Measures to Counter China"

'Ban on Japanese Seafood' by China Prompts US Response
"Helping Attacked Countries Is the Best Way"
China: "Diplomats Should Not Cause Trouble"

Ram Emmanuel, the U.S. Ambassador to Japan, announced on the 30th that the United States has started purchasing Japanese seafood for the U.S. military stationed in Japan for the first time as a countermeasure against China’s suspension of imports of Japanese seafood.

In an interview with major foreign media on the same day, Ambassador Emmanuel described China’s ban on Japanese seafood imports as part of an "economic war" and said, "Washington needs to look more broadly at ways to help offset the fallout."

Ram Emanuel, U.S. Ambassador to Japan
[Photo by Reuters]

Earlier, China completely suspended imports of Japanese seafood at the end of August, citing food safety concerns following the discharge of contaminated water from Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean. China is the largest importer of Japanese seafood such as scallops. Last year alone, China imported over 100,000 tons of Japanese scallops.

For now, the U.S. will start purchasing small quantities, including 1 ton of scallops. Ambassador Emmanuel stated that the U.S. will gradually expand purchases of all types of seafood supplied to the U.S. military in Japan. He added that the U.S. military had never previously purchased seafood locally in Japan.

Regarding the purchase of Japanese seafood for the U.S. military in Japan, including scallops, Ambassador Emmanuel explained that "this will be a long-term contract." He also said, "The U.S. is discussing with Japanese authorities to ensure that Japanese scallops are directed to U.S.-registered processors."

Ambassador Emmanuel said the best proven way to respond to China’s intimidation is "to help the country or industry under attack." He pointed out that China is facing "economic challenges" as it turns its back on the international system, noting that about 30% of Chinese youth are unemployed.

Additionally, Ambassador Emmanuel mentioned that he has recently been paying attention to how the Chinese leadership will handle the funeral of reformist former Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, who passed away on the 27th.

In response, Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, criticized Ambassador Emmanuel at a regular briefing on the same day, saying, "The role of a diplomat is to promote friendship between countries, not to smear other countries or incite disputes between both sides."

Spokesperson Wang also stated, "China’s firm opposition to Japan’s discharge of nuclear-contaminated water from Fukushima is consistent and clear," adding, "The international community must establish long-term and effective monitoring measures, and Japan must ensure the substantive participation of neighboring countries and stakeholders."

He further emphasized, "What we want to stress is that Japan must provide full cooperation to strictly prevent the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean, which would cause irreversible consequences."

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