Current:Home > InvestUS ambassador to Japan calls Chinese ban on Japanese seafood ‘economic coercion’ -FinanceMind
US ambassador to Japan calls Chinese ban on Japanese seafood ‘economic coercion’
View
Date:2025-04-12 15:30:02
TOKYO (AP) — U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel accused China on Friday of using “economic coercion” against Japan by banning imports of Japanese seafood in response to the release of treated wastewater from the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant into the ocean, while Chinese boats continue to fish off Japan’s coasts.
“Economic coercion is the most persistent and pernicious tool in their economic toolbox,” Emanuel said in a speech Friday in Tokyo, calling China’s ban on Japanese seafood the latest example.
China is the biggest market for Japanese seafood, and the ban has badly hurt Japan’s fishing industry.
“China is engaged right now in fishing in Japan’s economic waters while they are simultaneously engaged in the unilateral embargo on Japan’s fish,” Emanuel said. He said China’s intention is to isolate Japan.
Japan began gradually releasing treated wastewater from the crippled Fukushima plant into the sea on Aug. 24. The water has accumulated at the plant since it was crippled by a massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011. China immediately banned imports of Japanese seafood, accusing Tokyo of dumping “radiation contaminated water” into the ocean.
The International Atomic Energy Agency has said the release, if carried out as planned, will have a negligible impact on the environment, marine life and human health.
Emanuel posted four photos on X, formerly called Twitter, on Friday that he said showed “Chinese vessels fishing off Japan’s coast on Sept. 15, post China’s seafood embargo from the same waters. #Fukushima.”
Emanuel has also posted other comments about China that have been interpreted as critical, including one on Sept. 15 about Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu, who has not appeared in public for weeks, speculating he might have been placed under house arrest.
On Aug. 8, Emanuel posted that Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Cabinet lineup was “resembling Agatha Christies’s novel ‘And Then There Were None,’” noting the disappearances of Li, Foreign Minister Qin Gang, and commanders of China’s rocket force.
Four days later, he accused China of using AI to spread false claims that U.S. “weather weapons” had caused the wildfires in Maui and that the U.S. Army had introduced COVID-19 to China.
“I think you can have a mature relationship, have dialogue, conversation, but when somebody is offsides ... I think the most important thing you have to do is to be able to have veracity and call disinformation disinformation,” he said Friday.
veryGood! (897)
Related
- What do we know about the mysterious drones reported flying over New Jersey?
- 1.5 Degrees Warming and the Search for Climate Justice for the Poor
- Woman dies while hiking in triple-digit heat at Grand Canyon National Park
- Climate Change Will Hit Southern Poor Hardest, U.S. Economic Analysis Shows
- The FBI should have done more to collect intelligence before the Capitol riot, watchdog finds
- Would Kendra Wilkinson Ever Get Back Together With Ex Hank Baskett? She Says...
- With Hurricanes and Toxic Algae, Florida Candidates Can’t Ignore the Environment
- Ohio Gov. DeWine asks Biden for major disaster declaration for East Palestine after train derailment
- Former Danish minister for Greenland discusses Trump's push to acquire island
- Jessica Alba Praises Her and Cash Warren’s “Angel” Daughter Honor in 15th Birthday Tribute
Ranking
- Man can't find second winning lottery ticket, sues over $394 million jackpot, lawsuit says
- In Georgia, 16 Superfund Sites Are Threatened by Extreme Weather Linked to Climate Change
- Would Kendra Wilkinson Ever Get Back Together With Ex Hank Baskett? She Says...
- U.S. Suspends More Oil and Gas Leases Over What Could Be a Widespread Problem
- Nevada attorney general revives 2020 fake electors case
- Baby girl among 4 found dead by Texas authorities in Rio Grande river on U.S.-Mexico border in just 48 hours
- Sarah-Jade Bleau Shares the One Long-Lasting Lipstick That Everyone Needs in Their Bag
- Jessica Alba Praises Her and Cash Warren’s “Angel” Daughter Honor in 15th Birthday Tribute
Recommendation
Paula Abdul settles lawsuit with former 'So You Think You Can Dance' co
Trump’s Power Plant Plan Can’t Save Coal from Market Forces
Can Illinois Handle a 2000% Jump in Solar Capacity? We’re About to Find Out.
Shop the Best 2023 Father's Day Sales: Get the Best Deals on Gifts From Wayfair, Omaha Steaks & More
Trump issues order to ban transgender troops from serving openly in the military
Entourage's Adrian Grenier Welcomes First Baby With Wife Jordan
DC Young Fly Shares How His and Jacky Oh's Kids Are Coping Days After Her Death
Shop the Best 2023 Father's Day Sales: Get the Best Deals on Gifts From Wayfair, Omaha Steaks & More