What’s behind Beijing’s decision on Japanese seafoodーNHK WORLD-JAPAN NEWS
now for more we are joined by NHK World’s Nakamura Genta in Beijing so Genta why did China decide to resume imports of Japanese seafood at this time well Beijing knew it would eventually have to lift the ban and I believe there are several reasons for doing it now just last month the Chinese foreign ministry said it would study Japan’s request to restart seafood imports under the principles of science and safety that signaled the green light for officials to move ahead on the other hand Beijing had its own reasons for wanting to resume imports as soon as possible with tensions expected to drag on with the Trump administration China wants to improve ties with Japan the domestic economy is slowing so reviving economic exchanges with Japan was in Beijing’s interest they were likely waiting for the right moment and so the economic situation was a major reason for the announcement yes but I don’t think that’s all last week China announced plans for a massive military parade on September 3rd that marks the day after Japan signed its World War II surrender which China commemorates as Victory Day this year is the 80th anniversary and Beijing is planning a major campaign around it to fuel patriotism so the closer the import resumption announcement got to that sensitive date the more crit criticism the government could face at home about where its loyaltities lie
so does this mean that tensions between Japan and China on this issue are resolved uh far from it uh for starters China’s custom authorities are requiring Japanese companies to register processing facilities in China before they can export they will also need to provide radiation inspection certificates with every shipment one Japanese industry official told me the registrations are only just starting and there’s a long road ahead so actual exports could take time and it is worth noting uh this new process doesn’t even include 10 prefectures like Fukushima and Miyagi uh China has restricted imports from those areas since the nuclear accident even before the treated and diluted water release so in effect this just resets the situation to what it was before the latest dispute uh for Japan it’s back to square one and China’s government has warned it will take prompt measures if Japan fails to uphold safety standards while Beijing is showing some willingness to ease tensions the broader trajectory of its Japan policy remains highly uncertain thank you Genta that was Nakamura Genta reporting from Beijing
Shipments are to restart after a pause of about 2 years. NHK World’s Nakamura Genta in Beijing says economic concerns and upcoming campaigns to promote patriotism drove the decision. #china #japan #trade #analysis
More stories on China:
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/tags/30/
Please subscribe HERE: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSPEjw8F2nQDtmUKPFNF7_A?sub_confirmation=1