China has conditionally resumed imports of Japanese aquatic products, and will continue to strengthen supervisory measures to ensure food safety, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Monday.
Mao made the statement at a press conference in Beijing in briefing on the announcement released Sunday by China's General Administration of Customs on the resumption of imports of aquatic products from Japan, excluding its 10 prefectures believed to be directly impacted by Japan's unilateral ocean discharge of the Fukushima nuclear-contaminated wastewater.
"At the strong request of China and the rest of the international community, Japan accepted the international monitoring of the discharge of the Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water into the sea and the independent sampling and monitoring by the Chinese side, and promised to ensure continued implementation of the abovesaid monitoring activities. On this basis, China and Japan have held several rounds of consultations on resuming the export of Japanese aquatic products to China. Japan has promised to take a series of credible and testable measures to ensure the quality and safety of aquatic products exported to China and strengthen supervision," Mao said.
"The competent Chinese authorities, in accordance with China's laws and regulations and international trade rules and based on scientific evidence such as the monitoring data collected by all parties so far and prudent analysis and research, issued an announcement yesterday (Sunday), conditionally resuming imports of aquatic products, which comply with Chinese regulations and standards, from some regions of Japan. The authorities will continue to strengthen supervisory measures to ensure food safety for the people. Once any risks are detected, necessary import restriction measures will be taken immediately in accordance with law," she said.
In 2011, the cores of three reactors of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Japan melted down following a major earthquake and tsunami. At least 1.3 million tons of nuclear-contaminated wastewater has been accumulated in the plant, including water to cool the reactor, groundwater and rainwater.
Disregarding domestic and foreign questioning and protests, the Japanese government decided in April 2021 to filter and dilute the nuclear contaminated water from the Fukushima plant and started the ocean discharge of the radioactive wastewater on August 24, 2023. This process is expected to last 20 to 30 years, until the nuclear power plant is scrapped.
China conditionally resumes imports of aquatic products from Japan: spokeswoman
China conditionally resumes imports of aquatic products from Japan: spokeswoman
