Japan asks China to lift food import bans on nuclear disaster

TOKYO, Aug. 31 ― Japanese and Chinese agriculture ministries have held a senior official meeting to discuss over farm issues, ranging from China’s import bans on Japanese farm products and recent outbreaks of deadly African swine fever in China.

The high-level meeting took place on Aug. 30, the first time in two years and half. Such meetings have been disrupted by territorial disputes between the two countries.

During the meeting, Japanese officials asked Chinese counterparts to lift import restrictions on foods from Japan, which have been placed in after the 2011 earthquake and nuclear disaster in Fukushima, informed sources said.

In the wake of the disaster, China has imposed bans on food imports from Fukushima and nine prefectures. It has also halted importing vegetables, fruit juice, dairy products and tea leaves from Japan.

But the sources declined to comment what were the Chinese responses.

Officials from the two also agreed to cooperate on livestock infectious diseases, such as food-and-mouth disease and African swine fever that was reported in China since early August.

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