Japan’s LDP Calls for End to China’s Seafood Ban

• Hiroshi Moriyama, secretary general of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, has urged China to lift its ban on Japanese seafood imports.
• Moriyama emphasized the need for both nations to enhance mutual understanding and dialogue to improve their relationship.
• The dialogue session also featured speakers such as Makoto Nishida, the secretary general of the LDP’s coalition partner, the Komeito party, and Liu Jianchao, the head of the Chinese Communist Party’s International Department.
• Japanese farm minister Taku Eto announced he would advocate for the resumption of Japanese agricultural and seafood imports by China during his upcoming visit.

In a significant development, Hiroshi Moriyama, the secretary general of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), has urged China to lift its comprehensive ban on Japanese seafood imports. This plea was made during a dialogue session between the ruling parties of both nations, marking the first such interaction since October 2018. Moriyama’s call for concrete results to advance the bilateral relationship comes at a time when the ties between the two countries are strained by various issues, including the ban on seafood imports. This ban was imposed by China in response to the discharge of treated radioactive wastewater into the sea from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

Bolstering Bilateral Relations Amid Strained Ties

The LDP’s second-in-command emphasized the need for both nations to enhance mutual understanding among their citizens and bolster dialogue at different levels to improve their relationship. He also urged Beijing to ensure the safety of Japanese nationals residing in China and to resume imports of Japanese beef. Furthermore, Moriyama expressed his hope that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi would visit Japan later this year. The safety of Japanese expatriates in China has been a growing concern since the fatal stabbing of a Japanese boy in Shenzhen in September of the previous year. This incident has added another layer of complexity to the already strained relations between the two countries.

Dialogue Sessions and Future Prospects

The dialogue session also featured speakers such as Makoto Nishida, the secretary general of the LDP’s coalition partner, the Komeito party, and Liu Jianchao, the head of the Chinese Communist Party’s International Department. Following the event, Moriyama and Nishida held discussions with Wang Yi. They are also scheduled to meet with Wang Huning, who holds the fourth rank in the Communist Party’s top leadership, later in the day. The dialogue sessions between the ruling parties, which were first held in China in 2006, had been suspended in recent years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Moriyama and Nishida are leading a delegation of Japanese ruling bloc lawmakers on a three-day visit to China, which will conclude on Wednesday. In December, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and Wang Yi held talks in Beijing.

In a related development, Japanese farm minister Taku Eto announced in Tokyo on Tuesday that he would be visiting China for three days later in the week for discussions with his counterpart and other officials. Eto stated that he would advocate for the resumption of Japanese agricultural and seafood imports by China during his visit. The Chinese market is attractive. I will pitch such (Japanese) items as marine products, beef and rice, he said during a press conference.

China imposed the ban on Japanese seafood imports in August 2023. The country also halted imports of beef from Japan following the outbreak of mad cow disease in the neighboring country in 2001 and restricted rice imports, only permitting items quarantined at facilities in Japan designated by the Chinese government.

The recent dialogue between the ruling parties of Japan and China marks a significant step towards resolving the ongoing trade disputes. However, the path to reconciliation is fraught with challenges, and it remains to be seen how both countries will navigate these issues in the coming months. The dialogue session and the subsequent discussions indicate a willingness on both sides to address and resolve the issues at hand, marking a positive step towards improving bilateral relations.