Trade China increases pressure in dispute with Japan - with seafood
The dispute between China and Japan over statements on Taiwan continues to escalate. Beijing continues to build up pressure through its economic relations.
19.11.2025, 10:20
SDA
In the dispute over statements made by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Taiwan, China is specifically no longer allowing imports of seafood from Japan. Beijing has informed Tokyo of this step, Japanese media reported, citing government circles.
China's foreign ministry justified the move by saying that Japan had not submitted the documents it had promised for the export of the products and that Takaichi's recent statements had caused great anger among the Chinese people. Even if Japanese seafood were exported to China, there would be no market for it under these circumstances, said spokeswoman Mao Ning.
Why China is targeting seafood
China only largely lifted an import ban on Japanese seafood in June. Beijing had banned imports since August 2023 because Japan began discharging cooling water from the Fukushima nuclear reactor, which was destroyed in 2011, into the sea. China was previously the most important target market for Japanese seafood exports.
The import ban is a further step in the dispute between Beijing and Tokyo, which has lasted almost two weeks. Takaichi had said in parliament on November 7 that a Chinese attack on Taiwan would represent a "situation that threatens Japan's existence" and could lead to Japan exercising its right to self-defense.
The politician, who is critical of China, was thus hinting at how Japan might behave if China wanted to use military means to bind independently governed Taiwan, which it regards as part of a territory, to itself.
China threatens further measures
China had already advised its citizens not to travel to Japan because of the dispute - a further means of exerting economic pressure, as the Chinese make up the largest group of foreign tourists in Japan. Beijing is demanding that Takaichi retract her statements. "Otherwise, China will have to take further measures," said Mao.
Even a meeting between high-ranking diplomats from both sides in Beijing on Tuesday did not appear to have cooled the dispute. As the Chinese newspaper "The Paper" reported, China's representative Liu Jinsong subsequently declared that he was not satisfied with the outcome.
