Japan says may take China to WTO over Fukushima-driven seafood import ban

Japan to take China to WTO over seafood ban; govt seeks to block harassment calls from +86 country code.

Japan threatened on August 29 to take China to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to seek a reversal of Beijing’s ban on all of its seafood imports after the release of treated radioactive water from the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

Also Read: How Japan plans to release Fukushima water into the ocean

Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters that Japan will take “necessary action [on China’s aquatic product ban] under various routes including the WTO framework”.

Filing a WTO complaint might become an option if protesting to China through diplomatic routes is ineffective, Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi said separately.

The comments came as Japanese businesses and public facilities continued to receive harassment calls from phone numbers with the +86 Chinese country code, with many reporting callers complaining of the Fukushima water release.

Also Read: What’s happening at Fukushima plant 12 years after meltdown?

Japan’s National Policy Agency has received 225 reports of harassment calls to date, Jiji news reported, and the government said it was seeking help from telecommunications companies to block the calls.