(MENAFN- Asia Times) On August 24, 2023, immediately after Japanese authorities released treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean, China
suspended all seafood imports
from Japan.
While the
public's concerns
over contamination might justify the decision, China's track record of
employing plausible deniability , coupled with Japan's compliance with
international safety standards
and China's similar nuclear waste management practices,
raises questions
about China's motivations.
The restriction was
issued
by the General Administration of Customs and followed a protracted
disinformation campaign
aimed at stoking public fears, suggesting that political motivations lie behind the decision. The episode offered a pretext for Beijing to punish Tokyo's push to
increase security cooperation
with Seoul and Washington.
It also allowed China to send signals to both domestic and international audiences. Domestically, Beijing stoked anti-Japanese sentiments to divert attention from a
troubled economy . Internationally, China echoed concerns aired by Pacific Island nations to reiterate its image as a
champion of the Global South .
China has become adept at using trade as a tool of statecraft. Japan suffered export bans for critical minerals in 2010 amid heightened territorial tensions in the East China Sea. In 2017, Beijing embargoed South Korean goods and services after Seoul deployed US anti-missile batteries.
Japanese leader Fumio Kishida and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in a file photo. Image: Twitter
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