China may resume imports of Japanese seafood in the first half of next year?

According to Nikkei News, China is considering lifting the import ban on Japanese seafood in the first half of 2025 (possibly May or June), and officials suggest that the China premier may attend the Japan-China-South Korea trilateral summit and visit Japan in the first half of next year, which may be an important node to announce the resumption of trade. 

In August 2023, due to the discharge of waste water from Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea, China completely banned the import of Japanese seafood products in order to safeguard marine ecology and public health.  In September, the IAEA and Japan expanded nuclear waste water testing measures and allowed independent sampling by third parties, including China.  Since then, China and Japan have been negotiating to resolve relevant issues through several rounds of communication, such as diplomatic talks in October, Lima Conference in Peru in November and expert-level meeting in December.  It is reported that China has shown a positive attitude towards this, as if it is reassessing its trade stance, wants to strengthen economic ties with Japan, and may even prepare for potential trade tensions with the Trump administration. 

If China resumes the import of Japanese seafood, it must be based on strict scientific testing to ensure the safety of seafood. This is responsible for its own consumers and follows the basic norms of international trade.  This is not only related to the economic and trade cooperation between China and Japan, but also to the key decision of China to weigh environmental security, people's interests and economic development under the complicated international situation. It should not only safeguard its own rights and interests, but also flexibly respond to changes in the global economic structure. Its subsequent development deserves continuous attention.