Written by Liz Lee and Sakura Murakami
BEIJING/TOKYO (Reuters) – Talks on seafood trade are expected to be on the agenda on Wednesday when Japan's foreign minister visits China, Japan's largest export market for aquatic products until Beijing imposed a sweeping ban in protest over Tokyo's release of radioactive treated wastewater. In China. circumference.
This will be Takeshi Iwaya's first visit to the Chinese capital since he became Japan's Foreign Minister in October, and he is scheduled to hold talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and meet other Chinese officials.
A major sticking point in bilateral trade has been the discharge of wastewater at the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan. Beijing had strongly opposed and condemned Tokyo's decision on this and tightened inspections of Japanese goods in response.
China imposed a complete ban in August last year after Japan began releasing treated radioactive water, but the two governments reached an agreement in September that would pave the way toward resuming seafood shipments from Japan to China.
It was reported this week that China is considering lifting its ban on importing Japanese seafood.
But China still wants reassurances from Tokyo that it will fulfill its commitment to establish long-term international monitoring arrangements and allow stakeholders like China to conduct independent sampling and monitoring of treated water.
A Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Tuesday that with adequate monitoring, China will “adjust relevant measures” and gradually restore imports that meet standards and regulations.
The one-day visit follows an agreement between the leaders of the two countries that they will work to establish a mutually beneficial strategic relationship and enhance communications at various levels.
Chinese President Xi Jinping said last month when he met with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum in Lima, Peru, that relations between the two neighboring countries are going through a “critical period of improvement and development.”
Xi said the two countries should “be partners, not threats.”
Relations between China and Japan, trading partners with close economic and investment ties but rivals in security and territorial claims, are complicated by long-standing geopolitical disputes and historical wartime sensitivities.
Iwaya, who is the first Japanese foreign minister to visit Japan since April last year, may raise his country's concerns about Chinese military activities around Japan as well as regional issues including North Korea.
Japan expressed “grave concern” last month about a security alliance between North Korea and Russia in which North Korea would gain advanced military technology and combat experience.
Ukrainian and allied countries' assessments show that Pyongyang sent about 12,000 soldiers to support the Russian war in Ukraine. Ukraine warned this week that North Korea may send more personnel and equipment to the Russian military.
On less sexy topics, China can urge Japan to reciprocate its visa policies.
China last month expanded its visa exemption arrangements to include Japan until the end of 2025, restoring a policy that had been suspended during the pandemic.
The country, which added countries to its visa-free list, also extended the period of stay from 15 days to 30 days. Japanese citizens were able to enter China without a visa for up to 14 days before the coronavirus outbreak.
Japan has not made a decision on a reciprocal step, but China said it hopes Japan will improve people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.
