Japan has warned it will take China to the WTO to overturn a ban on seafood imports, imposed after Tokyo dumped radioactive waste water.
Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters today that Japan will take necessary actions in various directions to protest China's imposition of a ban on seafood imports, including within the framework of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
Filing a complaint with the WTO could be done if diplomatic protests are ineffective, according to Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi.
China has imposed a ban on seafood imports from all prefectures of Japan after Tokyo began discharging 1.34 million tons of treated nuclear wastewater into the sea on August 24, which was used to cool reactors at the Fukushima nuclear power plant following the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
Tokyo and the International Atomic Energy Agency have insisted that the discharge plan is safe and that the tritium levels in the wastewater are not harmful to humans, but the move has been met with fierce opposition from China, which says the seafood ban is aimed at "preventing food safety risks, protecting the health of Chinese consumers and ensuring the safety of imported food."
A woman looks at a menu at a Japanese restaurant in Beijing, China on August 29. Photo: AFP
Last year, Japan exported 87.1 billion yen ($600 million) worth of seafood to China, its top trading partner. Japan's total exports in 2022 will reach nearly 100 trillion yen ($685 billion).
The Japanese official's remarks came as businesses and public facilities in the country continue to receive harassing calls from a phone number with the Chinese country code +86. Many people have called government agencies, businesses, and schools in Japan to complain about the Fukushima wastewater discharge.
Japan's National Police Agency said on August 29 that it had received 225 reports of harassing calls. The government is seeking help from telecommunications companies to block the calls.
"It is regrettable and worrying that a large number of harassing calls may be coming from China," Trade Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said, adding that the government was gathering information about the boycott movement of Japanese products in China and would work with business leaders to address the situation.
China has not yet responded to this information.
The Japanese Foreign Ministry posted a notice on its website on August 27 urging its citizens in China to avoid speaking Japanese too loudly and to be aware of their surroundings if they visit the embassy or consulate. Japanese citizens in China are also advised to stay away from any protests against Tokyo's wastewater discharge into the sea and not to take photos of these events.
The Japanese Foreign Ministry also called on Beijing to promptly take appropriate action to ensure the safety of Japanese citizens.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said today that Beijing "always protects the safety, legitimate rights and interests of foreigners in China in accordance with the law."
Huyen Le (According to Reuters , AFP )
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