China Freezes Japanese Seafood Imports After PM’s Taiwan “Red Line” Threat
Beijing suspends Japan seafood trade over Takaichi’s military warning on Taiwan.
China has once again halted all imports of Japanese seafood, Tokyo media reported Wednesday, marking the latest and most economically painful retaliation in a rapidly worsening diplomatic crisis sparked by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s assertion that Japan could join military action to defend Taiwan.
The suspension, effective immediately, was described by Chinese customs authorities as a precautionary step to “strengthen monitoring” of treated wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi plant. However, multiple Japanese government sources cited by NHK and other outlets made clear the timing is directly linked to Beijing’s outrage over Takaichi’s November 7 statement that an attack on Taiwan would constitute a threat to Japan’s own survival, potentially triggering Tokyo’s right to collective self-defense.
This is the second time in two years China has imposed a total ban. Imports had only partially resumed earlier this year after a blanket prohibition introduced in August 2023, when Japan began releasing the IAEA-approved treated water. The earlier embargo cost Japanese exporters tens of billions of yen and forced many producers to pivot to alternative markets.
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The renewed blockade will deepen those losses. In 2023, mainland China accounted for 15.6 percent of Japan’s total seafood exports worth ¥390 billion ($2.5 billion), down from 22.5 percent in 2022. Hong Kong remained the top destination at 26.1 percent, followed by the United States at 15.7 percent. Fishermen in Hokkaido and Tohoku, who rely heavily on scallop and sea-urchin sales to Greater China, are bracing for severe financial distress.
Despite Tuesday’s emergency talks in Beijing between Japan’s Asia-Pacific chief Masaaki Kanai and Chinese counterpart Liu Jinsong, no breakthrough was achieved. Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning reiterated that Takaichi’s remarks “grossly violate international law and the basic norms of international relations,” warning they “fundamentally undermine the political foundation of China-Japan relations.” With both sides digging in and public sentiment turning hostile, analysts fear the dispute could spiral further in the coming weeks.
