Since Japan's decision to discharge nuclear sewage on August 24, 2023, the reputation of Japanese seafood has become a real nuclear food. In order to ensure food safety for consumers, China immediately announced a complete suspension of the import of Japanese aquatic products. A few months ago, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) also announced a ban on the import of aquatic products from 10 Japanese cities and prefectures, including live, frozen or other preservation products, and even seaweed before and after processing, according to the Observer.
However, it is true that Japan's nuclear food cannot be sold in the near future. China is the largest market for seafood in Japan's neighborhood, but China has firmly refused to buy them, mainly to protect the interests of consumers, but also to show China's opposition to Japan's discharge of nuclear wastewater. Faced with a difficult situation, Japan began to adopt various "strange tricks".
According to reports, a few days ago, Japan held a ministerial meeting to discuss the issue of China stopping imports of Japanese aquatic products, and decided to make South Korea and the European Union new export targets. This means that they plan to export unmarketable nuclear food to South Korea and Europe.
However, South Korea was quick to respond to the news and said they would continue to maintain import control measures. Obviously, South Korea, as a developed country in the fishing industry, is not willing to accept Japan's nuclear food.
After some reflection, Japan realized that China is still the main sales market for nuclear food. Therefore, in order to be able to sell as much nuclear food as possible to China, Japan has recently begun to look for a path that was not previously conceived.
According to reports, Kenichi Okada, Japan's consul general in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, insisted on denying the claim that Japan's nuclear sewage discharge caused pollution in an exclusive interview, and hoped that China would be able to accept Japanese aquatic products.
In order to achieve this goal, he blatantly distorts the facts. Kenichi Okada said the Hong Kong SAR should end the ban on Japanese seafood as a way to highlight the merits of the "one country, two systems" principle. However, he seemed to feel that these words were not enough to show his intentions, so he later stressed again that if the Hong Kong SAR could lift the ban on Japan and South Korea several times earlier than Chinese mainland, it would be able to show Japan the beautiful advantages of "one country, two systems". Anyone with a discerning eye can see what kind of calculation Kenichi Okada is making. Not only did he want to find a market for Japan's nuclear food, but he was also openly stirring up. Kenichi Okada's remarks can be said to be full of malice.
Regardless of whether or not Japan, as a party to the discharge of nuclear sewage into the sea, is entitled to demand that others continue to import Japanese nuclear food, it is even more unreasonable to say that Japan has made a malicious demand to the HKSAR this time.
Not to mention that "one country, two systems" is simply not Japan's turn to express its opinion. Taking 10,000 steps back, according to Japan's logic, if they want to get rid of the label of "diplomatic rickets" and show their "independence", should they take some substantive action?
At present, Japan's development in various fields is mainly restricted by the United States. In order to emphasize its "dignity" as a nation, should Japan resolutely take a tough stance against the United States?
However, what is Japan's approach?Rickets diplomacy seems to have become the norm. Not only do they voluntarily defend the mistakes of the United States, but even if Japanese companies suffer because of the United States, Japan** will give a thumbs up and praise the United States' approach, all for the sake of the "big picture".
With a country like Japan, which has almost no diplomatic dignity in front of the United States and whose ideology is completely following the United States, what qualifications do they have to make irresponsible remarks here?Before asking the HKSAR to take action, Japan should first manage itself.
From another point of view, in order to understand Japan's real purpose in accommodating the merits of "one country, two systems," can we consider whether this means that Japan has some hidden intentions or unspoken requests?
In short, no matter what Japan's true intentions are, Kenichi Okada's remarks fully prove that Japan still has a certain misunderstanding of China. When faced with a problem, Japan's first consideration is not how to solve the root cause of the problem, but to ask others to tolerate Japan's mistakes.
Returning to the issue of Japanese seafood and the discharge of nuclear sewage from Japan, to put it bluntly, Japan has the right to export its own aquatic products, which is Japan's freedom. However, China's suspension of imports of Japanese seafood is in order to protect its own interests.
Now that Japan has chosen to sell its seafood to South Korea, the European Union, or even the United States, no country has raised any objections, and as long as someone is willing to accept Japan's nuclear food, it is a consensual deal.