TOKYO
Japan and China have held bilateral talks to resolve disputes, including China’s ban on Japanese seafood, which has negatively impacted Japanese exporters. Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and Chinese counterpart Wang Yi met in Busan, South Korea, and will join their host, Park Jin, for three-way talks on Sunday.
The meeting was “extremely meaningful” and they agreed to start security and economic meetings. The two leaders met in San Francisco a decade ago to reach a vague agreement on easing a dispute over China’s ban on Japanese seafood since the Fukushima nuclear power plant began discharging treated wastewater into the sea.
Japan claims wastewater is safer than international standards and has negligible environmental and health impacts, while China calls it “nuclear-contaminated water.” Foreign ministers from Japan, South Korea, and China are meeting to resume a trilateral summit, which has been postponed since 2019 due to the COVID-19 outbreak and their complex ties.
Despite being close economic and cultural partners, their relationships have faced setbacks due to issues such as Japan’s wartime atrocities, the US-China rivalry, and North Korea’s nuclear programs.
