Fukushima water release: why China’s ban on Japanese seafood could backfire

‘Many people won’t eat seafood’, industry insider says of Chinese consumers, in ‘dangerous sign for the industry’

Others say that if Beijing really wanted to make a point, it would go after imports of more critically important trade items such as machinery, circuits and cars from Japan

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Vendors wait for customers at a seafood market in Shanghai on Friday. China has abruptly halted all seafood imports from Japan after it began releasing treated Fukushima waste water. Photo: Reuters

Mandy Zuoin ShanghaiandMia Nurmamatin Hong Kong

Published: 2:00pm, 26 Aug 2023Updated: 12:39pm, 23 Feb 2024

China’s decision to ban Japanese aquatic products – following the latter’s controversial discharge of Fukushima nuclear waste water on Thursday – could backfire, analysts say, pointing to potential impacts on China’s own seafood sector.

The move also serves to further cloud the countries’ already deteriorating bilateral trade, they say, as it shows how they may become less dependent on each other, even though aquaculture is not of high importance in Sino-Japan trade.

Japan’s decision to discharge treated nuclear waste water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean angered Beijing, leading to the immediate blockage of all Japanese seafood.

“Clearly, Beijing is making its displeasure very visible with the ban, even if the effect on Japan is not known or knowable at this point. Some of the response from China seems tied to their existing suspicions toward Japan,” said Chong Ja Ian, an associate professor of political science at the National University of Singapore.

He also noted how Beijing did not seem to acknowledge that the waste-water release had been certified by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

“The trade relationship – especially trade in goods – remains important, but Japan is diversifying away from the Chinese market for commercial and risk-management reasons, even as China focuses more on domestic production and consumption,” he said. “Both China and Japan may be less key for each other over time.”

However, China’s banning of seafood imports is not seen as a deeply impactful measure against Japan.