China on Sunday lifted its ban on Japanese seafood imports imposed in August 2023 following the release into the sea of treated radioactive wastewater from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant.

Beijing introduced the blanket ban in a demonstration of its strong opposition to the ocean discharge. The Asian neighbors agreed to begin procedures to resume Japanese seafood imports in May, but it may take a few months until shipments begin following the completion of procedural steps.

The move apparently reflects China’s interest in improving ties with Japan at a time when it is engaging in a trade war with the United States. Chinese customs authorities said in a public notice that long-term international monitoring of the water discharge and independent sampling by China “showed no abnormalities.”

File photo shows Japanese seafood being landed at a port in Taicang in China’s Jiangsu Province in March 2023. (VCG/Getty/Kyodo) ==Kyodo

On the premise that the Japanese government is committed to ensuring the quality and safety of seafood exports to China, Beijing has decided to “conditionally resume” imports, the authorities said.

However, China will keep restrictions on food imports from 10 Japanese prefectures including Fukushima and Tokyo, which were imposed after the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami that triggered the nuclear disaster.

For the resumption of China-bound seafood exports, Japanese facilities that process and preserve marine products must be registered, while the products must pass radiation checks.

In September last year, the two governments agreed to gradually resume seafood trade on the condition that third-party countries monitor the water release from the nuclear plant.

Following the agreement, China collected marine samples near the Fukushima plant under the framework of the International Atomic Energy Agency.