STORY: Fish have become collateral damage in Japan-China tensions.
Beijing has banned imports of seafood after Tokyo released treated water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power station into the sea.
Since China was previously the biggest buyer of Japanese seafood, that has left many fishermen struggling.
On Monday (October 30), U.S. ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel said Washington would help out.
As a first step, it will buy Japanese seafood for its military in the area, starting with scallops.
“Do I think this is the answer, full stop? No. China will continue its economic coercion, but the best way we have proven in all the instances to kind of wear out China's economic coercion is come to the aid and assistance of the targeted country or industry. So this is one step.”
China says its ban on imports is motivated by food safety fears.
That is despite the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog vouching for the safety of the Fukushima water release.
Now the first U.S. purchase will involve up to around 2,000 pounds of scallops - a tiny fraction of what Japan exported to mainland China last year.
Emanuel admits that’s a token gesture for now, but says the purchases will ramp up:
"It will be in this area of scallops but it will then broaden to all types of fish, be sold in all the commissaries across United States bases, 17 of them, it will be served and stored on our ships for the sailors when they go out. It will also be available on farmer's markets. So it starts with scallops, but works through all the fish products.”
Emanuel says the U.S. may also look at its overall fish imports from Japan and China.
The new move comes after a series of blunt remarks on China by the ambassador, who was former President Barack Obama’s White House chief of staff.
On Monday, Beijing gave a testy response to his announcement on fish.
A spokesperson for China's foreign ministry said an ambassador's job was to promote friendship, not to "smear other countries and sow discord".
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October 30, 2023 at 11:15PM
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