2023-08-23 10:36:24
On July 13, Ursula von der Leyen announced the end of European restrictions on the import of Japanese products. KYODO / REUTERS
DECRYPTION – Citing potential health risks, Hong Kong and China are halting their food imports from Japan.
A few drops in an ocean, and a fringe of international trade is disrupted. On Thursday, Japan will begin discharging into the sea some 1.3 million tonnes of water used to cool the cores of the nuclear reactors of the Fukushima Daiichi power plant, which went into meltdown in 2011. Deemed safe for health and environment, the decision was validated by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Despite this certification, the choice of Japan is not really to the taste of its neighbors. They fear the consequences of the level of radioactivity – however low it may be – of the water discharged. On Tuesday, Hong Kong announced to reduce « immediately » its food imports from Japan, « food security and public health (being) key government priorities ».
Read alsoFukushima: discharges of contaminated water planned for the end of August
A firm position also adopted by Beijing, which accuses Tokyo of dumping « arbitrarily » at sea water « contaminated » from Fukushima. China on Tuesday summoned the Japanese ambassador…
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