Japan may take China to WTO over Fukushima-driven seafood import ban
Japan may take China to WTO over Fukushima-driven seafood import ban
Japan threatened on Tuesday to take China to the World Trade Organization (WTO) to seek a reversal of Beijing's ban on all of its seafood imports after the release of treated radioactive water from the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
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This is something I don't really like about the WTO.
If a populace doesn't want some product in their country you shouldn't force them to have it.
True but in this case it's not populace deciding to make the food import ban, it's the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). They are using this opportunity to create a impact on Japan’s economy which is already struggling under the strain of inflation the country hasn't experienced in decades.
It is just political posturing and nothing else. Not out of concern for the Chinese people.
You may be right about the CCP's motivations, but there's more to it.
Nuclear safety is an issue of much public anxiety in China and there have been public protests about things like nuclear power plant sites.
There also seems to be a fair amount of misinformation about nuclear stuff - not least because people sometimes don't trust government spokespeople and govt sanctioned "experts". Rumours about Fukushima have been part of that.
Their government may well be capitalizing on it for the reasons you suggest, but a fear of Fukushima fish totally does track with the Chinese public.
Heck, would you risk Fukushima fish?
No. I know in theory it's safe but I prefer not to entrust my safety to theories.
If I still ate fish, I would eat Fukushima fish. The mercury is probably going to do more damage than a trace amount of radiation. I'll eat some Fukushima seaweed.
Are they wrong though? I definitely wouldn't want to eat that fish. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jul/24/fukushima-fish-with-180-times-legal-limit-of-radioactive-cesium-fuels-water-release-fears
It's already pretty telling that Japan is trying to export it when they're a huge seafood consumer themselves to the point where they rely on imports
Why want to get rid of Fukushima fish when it's supposedly safe to eat?