Diplomatic dispute deepens between Tokyo and Beijing over Taiwan remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
China will once more ban all imports of Japanese seafood as a diplomatic dispute between the 2 international locations escalates, Japanese media report.
Japanese public broadcaster NHK and Kyodo Information company stated on Wednesday that the seafood ban follows after China earlier this month lifted import restrictions on Japanese marine merchandise, which have been imposed by Beijing in 2023 after the discharge of handled radioactive water from Japan’s crippled Fukushima nuclear plant into the ocean.
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Kyodo Information, referencing sources with information of the matter, stated China has advised Japan that the reimposition of the ban was as a result of want for additional monitoring of the water from Fukushima launched into the Pacific Ocean.
However the ban comes amid a deepening disaster in relations between Beijing and Tokyo over remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. The premier advised parliament on November 7 {that a} Chinese language assault on Taiwan, which threatened Japan’s survival, was one of many few circumstances that might set off a navy response from Tokyo.
Takaichi’s feedback have been met with a wave of criticism by Chinese language officers and state media, prompting Japan to warn its residents in China to take security precautions and keep away from crowded locations.
In a publish on X following Takaichi’s feedback, the Chinese language consul normal in Osaka, Xue Jian, threatened to “reduce off that soiled neck”, apparently referring to the Japanese prime minister. Tokyo stated it had summoned the Chinese language ambassador over the now-deleted social media publish.
Beijing has additionally suggested Chinese language residents to keep away from travelling to Japan and demanded that Takaichi retract her remarks, although Tokyo stated they have been consistent with the federal government’s place.
Looking for to defuse the row, Masaaki Kanai, Japan’s high official within the Ministry of Overseas Affairs for the Asia Pacific area, held talks on Tuesday in Beijing along with his Chinese language counterpart, Liu Jinsong.
“In the course of the consultations, China as soon as once more lodged a powerful protest with Japan” over “Takaichi’s inaccurate remarks”, Chinese language Ministry of Overseas Affairs spokeswoman Mao Ning stated.
“Takaichi’s fallacies significantly violate worldwide legislation and the essential norms governing worldwide relations”, Mao stated, including the Japanese premier’s feedback “essentially harm the political basis of China-Japan relations”.
‘Very dissatisfied’
Al Jazeera’s Katrina Yu, reporting from Beijing, stated the go to by Kanai to Beijing was seen as an effort by Tokyo to de-escalate tensions and talk to China that Japan’s stance on independently-ruled Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its personal territory, has not modified regardless of Takaichi’s remarks.
“It appears there have been no concrete outcomes, however what we now have seen, although, is a few footage following the assembly of those two diplomats parting methods, and I believe it actually speaks for itself. We’ve got very chilly physique language from each of those diplomats,” Yu stated.
“Liu Jinsong had his palms in his pockets, refusing to shake palms with the Japanese senior diplomat,” Yu stated, including that the Chinese language official stated afterwards that he was “very dissatisfied” with the assembly.
Liu Jinsong, director-general of the Division of Asian Affairs of the Chinese language Overseas Ministry, met with Masaaki Kanai, director-general of the Japanese Overseas Ministry’s Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, on Tuesday.
Following the assembly, Masaaki Kanai has left the Chinese language… pic.twitter.com/rdAy2YJruQ
— China Information 中国新闻网 (@Echinanews) November 18, 2025
Earlier than the newest seafood ban, China accounted for greater than one-fifth of Japan’s seafood exports, in line with official information.
The dispute has additionally engulfed different areas of China-Japan relations, with China Movie Information, which is supervised by the state-backed China Movie Administration, asserting that the discharge of two imported Japanese motion pictures can be postponed amid the dispute.
The 2 motion pictures have been initially anticipated to be launched on December 6 and November 22, respectively, in line with evaluation web site Douban.
