China and Japan have made substantial progress on the resumption of import of aquatic products from Japan, with the Japanese side vowing to safeguard the quality and food safety of its products, said Lin Jian, spokesman of China's Foreign Ministry on Friday.
At the request of the Japanese side, China's General Administration of Customs (GAC) held a new round of technical exchanges with Japan in Beijing on Wednesday regarding the safety of aquatic products of Japanese origin. In response to media queries, Lin briefed the press on the exchanges at Friday's regular press conference.
"Since the beginning of this year, based on ongoing international monitoring of Japan's discharge of Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water into the sea, and on the results from China's independent sampling and testing, which showed no abnormalities, China has held talks with Japan regarding the safety of Japanese aquatic products. On May 28, at the request of the Japanese side, China's General Administration of Customs (GAC) held a new round of technical exchanges with Japan in Beijing on the safety problem of Japanese aquatic products, which made substantial progress in this regard. Japan has committed to taking credible and visible measures to ensure the quality and safety of Japanese aquatic products, and vowed to meet China's regulatory requirement and food safety standards," said Lin.
China, Japan made progress in talks on Japanese-origin aquatic products: spokesman
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned on Sunday that Tehran would view the United States and Israel's military bases and facilities in the Middle East as "legitimate targets" should Washington take military action against Iran.
At a parliamentary session convened to review an emergency proposal on assembly regulations, Qalibaf emphasized that, at this highly sensitive juncture, Iran must accurately and thoroughly identify the schemes of its adversaries.
Qalibaf said that Iran is currently confronting Israel and the United States simultaneously on four fronts: economic, cognitive, military, and counterterrorism. Of them, the economic warfare and the cognitive and psychological warfare began many years ago and have persisted to this day, growing increasingly complex and intense in recent years.
The remarks came as U.S. President Donald Trump is reportedly "seriously considering authorizing a strike" against Iran, taking advantage of its nationwide unrest.
Protests have erupted in several Iranian cities since late December over the sharp fall of the rial and long-standing economic hardship. Iranian authorities have acknowledged the demonstrations and voiced willingness to address economic grievances, while warning against violence and vandalism.
Amid the ongoing protests, deadly clashes have been reported lately between police and what the government described as "rioters." However, no official death toll has been released.
Also on Sunday, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will address the country's economic situation and political environment in a televised interview later that day.
Iran swears to counterattack if attacked
