JABAR EKSPRES – China has started blanket radiation tests on seafood imports from Japan, according to a number of sources familiar with bilateral relations between China and Japan, Tuesday (7/18).
The policy is seen as a move to suppress Tokyo’s plan to release radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea.
Measures introduced earlier this month have extended customs procedures, prompting some businesses in China not to import seafood from Japan. Japan’s foreign ministry and agriculture ministry have begun discussing how to address the problem, according to sources.
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Tokyo aims to discharge Fukushima water into the sea around summer, but China is strongly challenging the plan.
On July 7, China’s customs authorities said in a statement that they would “maintain a high level of vigilance” and “take all necessary measures in a timely manner in accordance with the development of the situation.”
The blanket tests began shortly after the statement was issued, taking about two weeks for refrigerated goods to pass through customs and about a month for frozen seafood. Seafood radiation checks are only conducted in Japan, but not in China, the source said.
Since the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident caused by a massive earthquake and tsunami, China has banned imported food from Fukushima and nine other Japanese prefectures.
If the water release plan begins, Beijing could further tighten controls on food imports from Japan.
A Japanese restaurant in Shanghai said it had no choice but to use tuna imported from Spain as seafood imports from Japan were halted last Thursday.
The Shanghai importer told its clients that it had stopped importing and shipping fresh fish from Japan on Monday (7/17). They plan to send staff overseas to find alternative procurement sources.
At the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, a large amount of radioactive water has been generated in the process of cooling melted fuel debris.
