Ahead of a trilateral summit between Japan, China and South Korea, experts say it is unlikely China will relax restrictions on Japanese farm produce.
A report in the Mainichi Daily News stated serious public concerns in China over radioactive fallout from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant meant it was unlikely Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao would agree to requests from Japan to ease what it sees as excessively strict customs procedures on its farm produce.
Despite calls by Japan for China and Korea to make decisions based on science rather than rumours, Liu Jianyong of Tsinghua University told the newspaper the two countries were unlikely to ease current restrictions as citizens were looking to their leaders to take a strong stance in ensuring food safety.
“It’s fine for Japan to make an appeal over the safety of its farm products and food,” he said. “But Japan should be very cautious in handling this issue even with its own population, especially when the country has yet to bring radioactive leaks at the nuclear plant under control.”
Another expert on Japanese affairs told the newspaper consumers in China were so concerned over radioactive contamination of produce any loosening of restrictions would have little affect on sales of Japanese produce there.
“Even if China relaxes import restrictions, consumers would not buy Japanese farm produce. In fact, nobody buys Japanese fish imports in Beijing and Shanghai today.”
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