• G7 asks China to immediately lift restrictions on Japanese cuisine.
• China had imposed a blanket suspension of Japanese fish imports.
• Japan and the United States had criticized these restrictions as unfair.

The G7, consisting of industrial powers such as the United States, Japan, Germany, Britain, France, Italy, and Canada, issued a joint statement on Sunday.

In the statement, they called for the “immediate repeal” of import restrictions on Japanese food products. These restrictions were in reference to China’s measures following Japan’s release of wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant.

They did express concerns about what they view as China’s increasing use of economic coercion through trade while the G7 trade ministers did not specifically mention China in their statement.

The G7 emphasized their commitment to building free, fair, and mutually beneficial economic and trade relationships.

China had imposed a blanket suspension of Japanese fish imports when Japan began releasing treated radioactive water from the Fukushima plant into the Pacific.

Japan and the United States had criticized these restrictions as unfair, and Russia had also implemented similar restrictions more recently.

China responded by describing the G7’s actions as “economic coercion” and urged the G7 to take practical steps to maintain normal international trade and investment practices.

The G7’s move was seen by China as undermining the level playing field and disrupting global production and supply chains.

Additionally, the G7 trade ministers expressed concerns about control measures related to the export of critical minerals. China, the world’s top producer of graphite,  recently announced export restrictions on this key material used in electric vehicle batteries.

The G7 ministers agreed on the need to reduce dependence on a particular country for critical resources and emphasized the importance of building resilient and reliable supply chains for critical minerals, semiconductors, and batteries.

Furthermore, the G7 officials condemned Russia’s actions, including the destruction of Ukrainian grain export infrastructure during its invasion of Ukraine and Moscow’s decision to unilaterally withdraw from talks regarding an agreement that allowed Ukraine to export wheat and other products through the Black Sea.

The trade ministers did not specifically address the Middle East situation regarding the Middle East crisis, unlike a previous G7 finance ministers’ meeting that condemned “terror attacks” by Hamas.

They expressed their commitment to raising awareness about the challenges of moving humanitarian goods across international borders during natural disasters and emergencies instead.

To stay informed about current events, please like our Facebook page https://www.bolnews.com/international/2023/10/g7-asks-china-to-immediately-lift-restrictions-on-japanese-cuisine/amp/.

Follow us on Twitter https://www.bolnews.com/international/2023/10/g7-asks-china-to-immediately-lift-restrictions-on-japanese-cuisine/amp/ and stay updated with the latest news.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel https://bit.ly/3Tv8a3P to watch news from Pakistan and around the world.

Also Read

Indian police looking into two-deadlier bomb attacks in Kerala

Indian police are looking into two deadlier bomb attacks in Kerala. The...