Article source: Dojo Xiaoxuan Window
Author: Wang Mo
When the Fukushima nuclear sewage was being discharged into the sea, news suddenly came from distant Europe that the European Union had lifted restrictions on Japanese food imports, and some Japanese experts said excitedly: "The first step in the revival of Fukushima has been taken, which is really exciting."
The news from the European Union is subtle, and so is the words of Japanese experts. It goes back to July 13, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who went to Europe to attend the NATO summit in Lithuania, held talks with European Commission President von der Leyen and European Council President Michel in Brussels, the capital of Belgium, and the two sides agreed to strengthen economic cooperation, the EU announced the lifting of EU restrictions on Japanese food imports after the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident, because IAEA Secretary General Grossi once submitted a report on the compliance of Fukushima nuclear wastewater to the Japanese Prime Minister on July 4. Von der Leyen said at a press conference that the EU "welcomes" the IAEA report, adding that "the EU's decision to lift import restrictions on Japanese agricultural products was made on the basis of the IAEA's evaluation and based on a science-based attitude", and all EU member countries "support it". Import restrictions are said to be lifted on August 3, and von der Leyen said the EU will resolve the opening of agricultural products to the Japanese market within 2023.
After the Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011, the European Union imposed restrictions on the import of Japanese food on the grounds that Japanese food may be contaminated with radioactive substances. Since restrictions have been eased, agricultural products from 10 prefectures, including whisky and beef, including Fukushima and Miyagi, can enter Europe if they provide radioactive material test certificates, so the EU's decision removes all restrictions on Japanese agricultural products. When large-scale demonstrations broke out in Japan's neighboring countries, especially South Korea, demanding that Japan stop the discharge of nuclear contaminated water into the sea, and a delegation of South Korean parliamentarians even protested and marched in front of the Japanese Diet and held a press conference, when Japan was upset about this, the EU's decision to make such a clear tendency was tantamount to a shot in the arm, which made the whole of Japan a little excited.
Although the EU is also expanding the export of its own agricultural products to Japan, but for Japan now, these can be ignored, because Japan originally imported a large number of agricultural products from Europe, for the current Kishida government, more imports from the EU or higher prices can be, the important thing is that the EU lifted the ban on the import of Fukushima agricultural products, indicating support for the Kishida government's plan to discharge nuclear sewage into the sea.
The number of Japanese agricultural products exported to EU countries is very small, and according to Japanese experts, the economic effect of the EU's removal of import restrictions is very limited. The author checked the official website of the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and the ranking of agriculture, forestry and fishery products export countries in 2022 is: China (accounting for 20.8%), Hong Kong (accounting for 15.6%), the United States (accounting for 14.5%), Taiwan (accounting for 11.1%), Vietnam (accounting for 5.4), followed by South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Australia, the main export products include wine, dried scallop powder, beef, green tea, pearls, milk powder and apples, etc., and the varieties and quantities exported to European countries are very small. Only about 5%, the EU has 27 member states, if the 5% quota is allocated to countries, it is almost negligible, so von der Leyen said that EU countries support the decision to lift the ban, should not be false, because many countries do not import Japanese food in the first place, what does it matter whether the ban is lifted or not?
No one knows what kind of benefits Kishida promised to the EU, so that EU leaders can calmly say that Fukushima food safety is safe when watching South Korean workers march in the scorching sun, the fact is that ordinary people in Japan avoid Fukushima food, and the fruits and vegetables in supermarkets, no matter how beautiful they look, Fukushima is always the cheapest. At present, the Japanese media are saying that the EU's lifting of the ban on agricultural imports is a "diplomatic victory" for the Japanese government, and the Japanese media have also proposed to the Japanese government to "use the fact of the lifting of the EU ban to put pressure on South Korea to liberalize the import of aquatic products from Fukushima and surrounding waters", and can also use it "as an important basis for publicizing to the international community" and use it when the plan to discharge nuclear sewage into the sea from Fukushima is implemented.
Recall the background of the United States that has been high-profile support since the Kishida government announced the discharge of nuclear sewage, anyone can see that the EU this time can be regarded as directly and high-profile on the side of the United States, both to Prime Minister Kishida and a containment of China, after all, opposition to the discharge of nuclear sewage At present, it is mainly the Chinese and South Korean people, as well as the opposition party, and the Yoon Seok-yue government supports sewage discharge. It can be seen that what deserves the fanfare of the joint statement issued by the Japanese prime minister and the head of the European Union is the political effect in addition to the economic effect.
At the joint press conference, Kishida highly affirmed the EU's decision, saying that it was "a huge boost to the recovery of the Fukushima disaster area", and Japanese media speculated that since the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union have successively lifted restrictions on Japanese food imports, the Japanese government may use this as a basis in the future to "require China and South Korea to continue to import Japanese food."
Such a natural statement, let the author a little stunned, do not understand that it is the EU countries that revoke the import restriction order, why Japan should use it as a basis to "ask China", since the EU countries like Japanese food, they cannot sell short favors, only by signing a large number of orders can they show sincerity, otherwise EU leaders are talking in vain, standing and talking without backache. As for the Japanese media's shameless statement that "China is asked to buy Fukushima agricultural products", it is completely a forced purchase and forced sale, exposing the robber logic in the bones of the former colonizers.
——["Ward Institute" only transmits sober positive energy! I hope you enjoy the joy and support! 】