China to ‘gradually resume’ seafood imports from Japan after Fukushima row

Beijing had called the merchandise of treated radioactive h2o from powerfulness works ‘a large atomic information contented with cross-border implications’.

China says it volition “gradually resume” importing seafood from Japan aft the countries reached a woody that ensures the information of h2o released from the disabled Fukushima atomic plant.

About a twelvemonth ago, China banned seafood imports from Japan, citing the hazard of radioactive contamination aft relation Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) started releasing treated h2o from the Fukushima works into the Pacific Ocean successful August 2023. The h2o had been utilized to chill the plant’s atomic reactors aft it was swamped successful the 2011 tsunami.

Japan said the merchandise of the h2o was harmless and supported by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations atomic watchdog. It criticised China for spreading “scientifically unfounded claims”.

But Japan’s determination sparked fury successful China, and it imposed the ban. Russia did the aforesaid arsenic a “precautionary measure”.

On Friday, some countries said they had reached a statement successful August implicit the wastewater release.

On March 11, 2011, a magnitude 9 earthquake disconnected the seashore of northeastern Japan triggered a tsunami that knocked retired powerfulness and cooling systems astatine the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, starring to meltdowns successful 3 of its six reactors.

Since then, TEPCO has collected the h2o that was contaminated arsenic it cooled the wrecked reactors on with groundwater and rainfall that has seeped in.

“China volition statesman to set the applicable measures based connected technological grounds and gradually resume imports of Japanese aquatic products that conscionable the regularisation requirements and standards,” China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said successful a statement.

Officials from some sides precocious conducted “multiple rounds of consultations” connected the discharge from Fukushima, it added.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida connected Friday said Tokyo had informed Beijing of “its readiness to transportation retired further monitoring of the … treated water” and to marque definite the imported Japanese fishery products “meet definite standards”.

The IAEA said successful a connection that it would “coordinate with Japan and different stakeholders, including China, to guarantee that the information measures are implemented” properly.

The statement ensures that Japan fulfil its obligations “under planetary law” and behaviour “continuous evaluations of the interaction connected the marine situation and marine ecosystems”.

The wastewater merchandise has been a flashpoint successful caller tensions alongside disagreements implicit trade, territorial disputes and espionage allegations.

Despite the row, some countries proceed to beryllium large trading partners, and China imported much than $500m of seafood from Japan successful 2022, the AFP quality bureau reported, citing customs data.

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Al Jazeera and quality agencies