LDP Official: End China’s Ban on Japanese Marine Products; Urges China to Remove ‘Thorn in Bilateral Relations’

By Hiroki Takao / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

15:51 JST, January 14, 2025

BEIJING — Hiroshi Moriyama, the secretary general of the Liberal Democratic Party, on Tuesday called for China to lift its import ban on Japanese marine products, at a meeting of the Japan-China Ruling Party Exchange Council held in Beijing.

Moriyama and Makoto Nishida, the secretary general of the LDP’s coalition partner Komeito, were visiting China to attend the meeting. It was the bilateral group’s first meeting since October 2018.

“Resolving these issues will surely remove a thorn that stuck in the relations between Japan and China, and that will lead to true mutual trust,” Moriyama said in his keynote speech at the meeting. He called for the lifting of both China’s import ban on Japanese marine products and its restrictions on importing Japanese beef.

Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) Central Committee and who handles foreign relations for the CCP, said that China and Japan should maintain peace and stability in Asia and take responsibility to promote common development.

The two sides were also likely to discuss strengthening economic cooperation and issues related to North Korea’s nuclear development and missiles.

Moriyama was to meet later in the day with Wang Huning, Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and the No. 4-ranked official of the CCP. He was also set to talk with Wang Yi, Chinese foreign minister and a member of the Political Bureau of the CCP Central Committee.