Last week, Beijing it is suspending the import of all seafood products from Japan. The announcement came just after authorities in Japan started releasing treated water from its inactive nuclear power plant located in northeastern Japan.
The ban on Japanese seafood will not only impact Japanese fisheries but Chinese consumers as well. Forty-two percent of Japanese seafood go to China and Hong Kong, most of which are mollusks; 18% of China鈥檚 mollusks imports come from Japan. Unfortunately, Beijing may be more interested in the political impact of its decision than the economic effect it will have on either Japanese exporters or Chinese consumers.
叠别颈箩颈苍驳鈥檚&苍产蝉辫; is that Japanese authorities are acting 鈥渟elfishly鈥� and in total disregard for the considerations of the international community by releasing this water into the Pacific Ocean. However, not only have Japanese authorities worked closely with the throughout this process, Beijing鈥檚 targeted restrictions against Japanese seafood alone show the insincerity of China鈥檚 actions.
Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), which operates and manages the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, has been the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for years to ensure that the water it鈥檚 releasing has been treated appropriately. TEPCO says it will release water with no more than 22 trillion becquerels of the radioactive tritium per year 鈥� well below the standard set by organizations like the IAEA and below the level of tritium that naturally in the ocean.
Unfortunately, Beijing鈥檚 rhetoric about food safety concerns runs counter to its actions. By one , four of China鈥檚 nuclear reactors on its coastline release nearly 20 times as much tritium in the ocean per year 鈥� and yet, there have been no limitations on what Chinese fishermen can catch or concerns about radiation levels to date. And there are still no limitations on what Chinese fishermen can catch in the seas around Japan today. There are no limits on seafood imports in China from other countries such as South Korea, Taiwan or the Philippines 鈥� which all share waters with Japan.
There are reports that Tokyo will bring a against Beijing鈥檚 actions to the World Trade Organization 鈥� though how this might help Japanese fisheries in the meantime is questionable.
Despite Tokyo being the obvious target for Beijing鈥檚 trade restrictions, it isn鈥檛 exactly clear what Beijing wants at this point 鈥� whether it wants something tangible from Tokyo or simply to discredit and politically harm its neighbor.
One reason for the trade restrictions could be that, just , Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met with President Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol for a summit at Camp David. There, the three leaders China鈥檚 dangerous and aggressive behavior in the South China Sea 鈥� which also happens to be an important region for Chinese fishermen.
Another reason could be that this may drive a wedge further between Kishida and his political party, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), and Japan鈥檚 fishing industry, which was already to the release of the treated water. Just like when Beijing targeted American farmers with tariffs during the U.S.-China trade war, Beijing may be targeting the LDP鈥檚 political supporters in an effort to exert maximum political cost on the Kishida administration and impact public opinion. There is that Kishida may call for an early election this autumn and already his has been growing.
One other reason could be that China has its own history of food safety problems, with regular outbreaks of and flu, to name a couple. Beijing may simply want to take this opportunity to point a finger at a food safety concern that鈥檚 not originating at home.
Regardless of an underlying reason, it would be naive to think China would not be using this event to target Japan鈥檚 image. As the current U.S. ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel, once said: Never let a good crisis go to waste. Whether or not there was a Camp David summit, whether or not there is domestic opposition to the release of the treated water, or whether China鈥檚 economy is gearing toward stagnation, Beijing would not let this opportunity to undermine Tokyo鈥檚 credibility go to waste.
This isn鈥檛 the first time that Beijing and Chinese netizens have rallied together to voice anti-Japan sentiment. In 2012, a dispute over islands sparked a diplomatic dispute between Tokyo and Beijing and instigated anti-Japan sentiment throughout China. The events led to protests and vandalism against Japanese businesses and products across China. And now, Japanese are facing new instances of in China and at home.
Just like in 2012, Beijing may do the bare minimum to protect Japanese citizens as it allows anti-Japanese sentiment to grow. It may even continue to fuel some of its domestic anti-Japanese sentiment as it continues to spread misinformation about the safety of the treated water that鈥檚 being released.
Even if Beijing is given the benefit of doubt, assuming that it cares more about the safety of seafood coming from the seas around Japan, there may be little it can do to convince the international community otherwise. Beijing鈥檚 continued use of trade restrictions, especially on agriculture and food products from other countries, in addition to its increasing diplomatic belligerence, has discredited any legitimate concerns it actually may have. In places like Tokyo and Washington, there鈥檚 little trust in what Beijing has to say anymore.
In May, Japan, along with the U.S. and other Group of Seven members, released a warning that incidents of economic coercion like this were on the rise as countries like China exploit economic vulnerabilities for political purposes.
This week, Ambassador Emanuel Fukushima to eat locally caught seafood in a show of solidarity with Japan. And President Yoon ate to reassure South Koreans that locally sourced seafood is safe to eat.
The U.S. and others should support Tokyo as it continues to reassure domestic and international markets that its seafood is still safe to consume.