The Chinese government rejected Japan's request to lift restrictions on imports of Japanese seafood, stating, "Accept strict international supervision."
On the 20th, Mao Ning, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, responded at a regular briefing to a question about how China would reply to Japan's demand to lift export restrictions, saying, "The Chinese government adheres to a people-centered centralized ideology," and "We must take responsibility for the health of the people and the marine environment."
This emphasized the necessity of import restrictions to protect public health and was interpreted as a clear stance against accepting Japan's demand to lift import restrictions.
Spokesperson Mao stated, "China urges Japan to listen to the voices of the international community, halt the forced discharge plan of nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean, and sincerely consult sufficiently with neighboring countries," adding, "Process the nuclear-contaminated water responsibly and accept strict international supervision."
On the 18th, Japan's Kyodo News reported that Chinese customs authorities have begun comprehensive radiation inspections on Japanese seafood imports, causing some importers to give up on importing Japanese products.
In response, the next day, Matsuno Hirokazu, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary, stated, "The safety of Japanese food has been scientifically proven," and added, "We have been demanding China to lift import restrictions on Japanese food at the level of normal and diplomatic ministers and will continue to strongly demand this."
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