Japan may complain to WTO against China over seafood import ban

Following the release of radioactive water from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station, Japan threatened to take China to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to request that Beijing lift the ban on all seafood imports.

Reporters were informed by Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi that the country would “take necessary action (on China’s ban on aquatic products) under various routes, including the WTO framework.”

Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi separately stated that if diplomatically denouncing China proves unsuccessful, then a WTO complaint may be an alternative.

The remarks were made as harassing calls from phone numbers with the +86 Chinese country code continued to be made to Japanese businesses and public places, with many callers alleging that they were related to the Fukushima water disaster.

According to Kyoto News, which cited the prefecture governor, the Fukushima prefectural government and public facilities in the prefecture have received roughly 3,000 such calls.

Local media said that Tokyo Electric Power (9501.T), the company that operates the power plant, has already received roughly 6,000 such calls. The government stated that it was looking to telecommunications firms for assistance in blocking the calls.

An increasing number of landline phone users are requesting to block foreign numbers, said a spokesperson at NTT Communications, a Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (9432.T) unit. NTT and other phone companies including KDDI (9433.T) and SoftBank Corp (9434.T) are discussing measures following the government’s request.

NTT East, which serves the eastern half of the country including Fukushima, said it had set up a customer service centre on Tuesday specifically for harassment calls from overseas, in response to the government’s plea.

“It is extremely regrettable and concerning about the large number of harassment calls that have likely come from China,” Trade Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said during a news conference. He said that according to the people of Fukushima some calls were even going to hospitals.

“Human life is at stake now. Please stop the calls immediately,” Nishimura said.

The minister stated that the government was gathering data regarding rumours of movements in China to boycott Japanese goods and would cooperate with business executives to solve the issue.

As a result of media allegations that some tours to Japan have been cancelled, Japan is also interviewing local travel firms to learn more about the situation with Chinese travellers.

“Some travel agencies responded that they had received cancellation requests while others said they had received inquiries about the safety of food and beverages, and the possibility of postponing or cancelling tours,” Japan’s Land Minister Tetsuo Saito told reporters.

The action followed China’s earlier this month lifting of restrictions on group travel to Japan and other important markets during the pandemic.

(With agency inputs)