China threatens more countermeasures over Japan PM's Taiwan remarks

Speaking at a regular news briefing on Wednesday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's recent remarks about Taiwan “fundamentally undermines” the political foundation of China-Japanese relations.

On China’s decision to ban all Japanese seafood imports, Mao said even if Japanese aquatic products were exported to China, there would be "no market" for them, citing the "anger" of Chinese nationals at recent comments from the Japanese prime minister on Taiwan.

The escalating diplomatic dispute between the two countries was ignited after Prime Minister Takaichi said this month that a Chinese attack on Taiwan threatening Japan's survival could trigger a military response.

Japan has on Wednesday responded by saying it has “not received any communication" from the Chinese government” on the seafood ban.

Beijing had in June partially eased its blanket ban on Japanese seafood, resuming imports from all but 10 of Japan's 47 prefectures. The ban was imposed in August 2023, shortly after Japan began releasing treated radioactive wastewater from its wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean.

A re-imposition of a total ban will be a painful blow for many companies eager to re-enter a market that previously accounted for more than a fifth of all Japan's seafood exports.

“We will continue to urge the Chinese side to swiftly facilitate our exports … and strongly demand the lifting of import bans on seafood products from the remaining 10 prefectures,” said Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara.