China Insists Japan Seafood Import Ban is Legitimate

By Kiyota Higa / Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent

12:46 JST, September 6, 2023

BEIJING — In response to Tokyo’s written rebuttal submitted to the World Trade Organization on Monday that urges Beijing to immediately withdraw its blanket ban on the import of Japanese marine products, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning told reporters on Tuesday, “The measures we’ve adopted are fully legitimate, reasonable and necessary.”

China’s import ban was triggered by Japan’s release of treated water from Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc.’s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant into the ocean.