China suspended all seafood imports from Japan in response to the release of contaminated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant, sparking international controversy. "The ocean is not a sewer for Japan's nuclear-contaminated water," the Chinese Foreign Ministry said. China imported about 850 million dollars of seafood from Japan last year.

China announced on Thursday the suspension of all seafood imports from Japan in response to the release of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant. The decision came shortly after Japan began discharging the treated wastewater into the Pacific Ocean.

China's customs agency expressed the move as an essential step to "comprehensively prevent the risk of radioactive contamination of food safety, protect the health of Chinese consumers, and ensure the safety of imported food." This action extends a previous ban on imports from areas directly surrounding the nuclear plant.

Japanese officials have stated that the discharged water has undergone treatment by the Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS) which eliminates most radioactive material. The sole element not easily removed is tritium. An embassy spokesperson for Japan in London assured that the water is "sufficiently purified through ALPS until the concentration of radioactive materials other than tritium is below the regulatory standard, and then is further diluted before it is discharged." The Japanese government has plans to release approximately 1.3 million metric tons of treated wastewater, a volume equating to roughly 500 Olympic-sized swimming pools. 


In 2011, the Tōhoku earthquake and subsequent tsunami led to over 15,000 casualties and caused the Fukushima nuclear power plant to meltdown, with damages across the region estimated at $235 billion.

Japan's decision has been met with significant international critique. Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin labeled Tokyo's actions as "extremely selfish and irresponsible," adding that the ocean should be viewed as a shared resource for humanity and "not a sewer for Japan’s nuclear-contaminated water." Hong Kong's Chief Executive, John Lee, mirrored this sentiment, declaring opposition to the wastewater release. However, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) stated that Japan's actions align with international standards and will likely have a "negligible" impact on the environment and public health.

South Korea provided a more mixed reaction. While acknowledging the IAEA's findings, the nation stated it "does not necessarily agree with or support the plan to release contaminated water."

In 2022, China imported a significant amount of fish from Japan, valued at approximately 71.7 billion yen ($493.4 million), as well as crustaceans and mollusks worth around 53.56 billion yen.

The ongoing debate underscores broader concerns about environmental preservation, international cooperation, and the implications of nuclear energy.