China Hopes to Improve Japan Ties Amid Conflict with U.S.; Resumption of Japanese Seafood Imports Seen as Attempt to Boost Ties with Neighbors

By Shinsuke Uemura and Akiko Yoshinaga / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writers

18:23 JST, May 31, 2025

Japan and China agreed to begin procedures to resume exports of Japanese marine products to China. Amid Beijing’s conflict with Washington, China is hoping the move will improve bilateral ties with Japan.

However, the resumption of exports of Japanese marine products will only apply to 37 prefectures, excluding Tokyo and nine other prefectures. The Japanese side will continue to seek the resumption of exports from these 10 prefectures as well as China’s positive responses to other bilateral issues.

“This could be a big step forward in tackling various issues between Japan and China,” Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said at a press conference on Friday.

China imposed a total ban on imports of Japanese marine products in response to the release of treated water from Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc.’s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant into the ocean. The release began in August 2023.

Beijing subsequently launched a campaign criticizing the release at international conferences and other venues, saying, “The Pacific Ocean is not a sewer for Japan’s ‘nuclear-contaminated water.’”

Perceiving China’s move as a way to undermine Japan’s position in the international community, the Japanese government focused on winning the understanding of various countries, including South Korea and Pacific island nations.

Japan had urged China to withdraw the embargo while spreading the view that there was no scientific evidence to support Beijing’s ban.

Under the latest agreement, such documents as an inspection certificate for radioactive tritium will be required for the initial exports, but the export procedures are expected to be almost the same as before August 2023.

“It took time, but we were able to achieve results without making major concessions,” a senior Foreign Ministry official said.

Since U.S. President Donald Trump began his second term in January, Chinese President Xi Jinping’s government has been at odds with Washington over tariffs.

It is thought that China’s move to resume imports of Japanese marine products is part of efforts to quickly improve ties with neighboring countries.

The Chinese side hopes to attract more investments by improving ties with Japan. In 2024, direct investment in China by foreign companies declined 60% compared to the previous year, the lowest level since 1992.

At the same time, China is marking this year as “the 80th anniversary of winning the war against Japan,” inflaming people’s patriotism.

Some believe China worked to quickly reach an agreement with Japan because it would become more difficult for Beijing to make moves that could be seen as making concessions to Japan as the date neared Sept. 3, which marks the anniversary of China winning the war against Japan.

However, some on the Chinese side have made certain remarks that raise doubts about whether the country wants to improve relations with Japan.

At a press conference on Friday, Lin Jian, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, referred to the treated water as “nuclear-contaminated water.”

As the Chinese government has criticized Japan, it is believed that China is slowly introducing measures to improve ties with Japan while considering public opinion at home. The decision not to include marine products from the 10 prefectures may be part of that effort.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang is expected to visit Japan this year for a trilateral summit meeting between Japan, China and South Korea. Japan is to chair the summit.

If realized, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s first visit to China may also be considered.

However, there are still many issues between Japan and China, including ensuring the safety of Japanese residents in China and China’s violation of Japanese airspace with its aircraft flying near the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture.

Japan plans to cautiously explore ways to improve relations with China because the issue of economic security, with China in mind, is on the agenda for Japan-U.S. tariff negotiations.

“We will carefully move forward with our diplomacy with China one step at a time while comprehensively seeing how the U.S.-China conflict and the Japan-U.S. tariff negotiations will unfold,” said a Japanese government official.