China has increased inspections on Japanese seafood imports due to concerns over radiation, amid rising tensions between the two countries over Japan's plan to release treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean. This comes after China extended a ban on seafood products from 10 Japanese prefectures, including Fukushima, in July. China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson stated that the restrictions were in place to protect the health of the Chinese people and the marine environment. Japan has dismissed China's objections and called on Beijing to lift the restrictions on Japanese seafood. The release of the treated water from the Fukushima plant, which meets the safety standards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), is expected to take place in August. Some experts believe that China's restrictions on seafood imports are aimed at instilling doubts about the safety of the treated water. The European Union recently announced that it would lift restrictions on seafood imports from Japan based on scientific evidence presented by the IAEA.
Fri, 21 Jul 2023 07:05:46 GMT | Voice of America - VOA News