Marine Products to Be Exported to China: Why Has Beijing Not Yet Fully Lifted The Import Ban?

Editorial

15:54 JST, June 3, 2025

China has finally acknowledged the safety of Japanese marine products and is likely to lift its import ban, but it must be said that the scale is limited and inadequate.

If China is serious about improving relations with Japan, shouldn’t it drop its scientifically groundless claims and make the decision to lift the import ban entirely?

According to the Japan-China agreement, businesses in Japan must re-register with the Chinese authorities before resuming exports of Japanese marine products. In addition, the first shipment must be accompanied by a certificate of inspection for radioactive materials. Therefore, the actual resumption of exports is expected to be several months away.

In 2023, when treated water from Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc.’s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant began to be discharged into the ocean, China banned imports of all Japanese marine products.

Last year, the Japanese and Chinese governments agreed that China would conduct a seawater monitoring survey under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The results of the survey subsequently revealed no problems with the seawater.

The safety of the treated water has been investigated and confirmed by the IAEA many times. Despite this, China has continued to criticize the treated water, calling it “nuclear contaminated water.” The fact that such critical voices did not spread internationally probably contributed to the Chinese government’s decision this time around.

Nevertheless, China has allowed only 37 prefectures — excluding 10, such as Fukushima and Ibaraki — to resume exports. There is no scientific basis for the move, and it is hard to understand.

Pending issues between Japan and China are not limited to marine products.

Last month, a helicopter belonging to a China Coast Guard vessel violated Japanese airspace around the Senkaku Islands in an attempt to interfere with the flight of a Japanese civilian aircraft. In response to the Japanese government’s protest, China reportedly claimed that the civilian aircraft had violated Chinese airspace.

China also removed a buoy that it had installed without permission inside Japan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) south of Yonaguni Island. However, China asserts that both the installation and removal of the buoy were activities conducted in waters under its jurisdiction.

China’s claims, which are like saying the Senkakus and Japan’s waters belong to itself, are unacceptable. Beijing’s likely aim is to strengthen its effective control over them through establishing faits accompli. The Japanese government must not tolerate China’s claims.

Meanwhile, at the Asia Security Summit held in Singapore, there were many voices from countries including those from Southeast Asia expressing caution over China’s hegemonic activities in the South China Sea.

With the rise of China, it is becoming difficult for the United States alone to protect the security of Asia. Japan needs to make every possible effort to build a multilateral cooperative framework to safeguard regional peace and stability.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, June 3, 2025)