Official announcements from Chinese government or major news outlets like NHK, CCTV, or Reuters

China Gradually Ready to Lift Ban on Japanese Seafood Imports Amid Fukushima Monitoring Agreement

Sep 20, 2024, 08:40 AM

China has expressed readiness to lift its ban on Japanese seafood imports, contingent on Japan and the International Atomic Energy Agency allowing third-party countries to join monitoring activities on the water discharge from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. The agreement reached between China and Japan includes provisions for independent sampling and long-term international monitoring of the discharge, as reported by NHK and CCTV. Although China has agreed to gradually resume imports of Japanese aquatic products, the ban will not be lifted immediately. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stated that Japan is prepared for additional monitoring on ALPS-treated water, and China will make arrangements to restore seafood imports from Japan steadily. The consensus document does not imply an immediate resumption of imports but marks a significant step towards resolving the yearlong dispute over the treated wastewater release. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning emphasized that the agreement does not mean an immediate resumption of imports.