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183656
Sun, 05/22/2011 - 15:46
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https://oananews.org//node/183656
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Japan's plea to dispel radiation worries heard by neighbors
TOKYO, May 22 Kyodo -
Japan's desperate efforts to ease widespread concerns over its products caused by the ongoing nuclear crisis in Fukushima Prefecture have borne some fruit, as its important trade partners China and South Korea agreed to take a scientific-based approach for Japanese imports at a trilateral summit through Sunday.
In a show of support for Japan's reconstruction after the devastating March 11 earthquake and tsunami, which triggered the nuclear crisis, the close neighbors vowed to ensure the smooth flow of trade and boost the number of Japan-bound tourists in joint statements issued after the two-day meeting in Tokyo.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao also said in his bilateral talks with Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan on Sunday morning that Beijing will ease its import restrictions on Japanese food and farm produce provided that the safety of Chinese nationals is guaranteed.
Such promises were craved by Japan, whose relatively good image as a producer of high-quality agricultural and industrial items as well as a tourist destination has been shattered by the drawn-out emergency at the radiation-spewing Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
In the outcome documents, the three countries agreed on the importance of taking ''necessary responses prudently on the safety of products based upon scientific evidence in case of a nuclear accident.''
A Japanese official emphasized the significance of the reference to the scientific grounds in the summit documents, saying it is the first time for such expressions to be written in a diplomatic statement following the Fukushima plant crisis.
''I believe this symbolizes political support shown by the leaders of China and South Korea, and hope it will help change the attitudes'' of importers and consumers in the two countries, the official said.
In the summit talks, the three countries also retained the goal set last year of having 26 million people visit each other's countries in 2015, almost double the figure for 2009, and agreed to boost exchanges of the three countries' students.
Japan expects the news footage of Wen and South Korean President Lee Myung Bak visiting Fukushima Prefecture and eating locally grown fruits and vegetables will help alleviate consumer concerns over Japanese products and assure nationals of the two countries that it is safe to travel to the disaster-hit nation.
But it remains unknown whether such political initiatives will truly help restore confidence in Japan among people in South Korea and China, while the crisis at the plant in Fukushima Prefecture continues.
Since the calamities struck northeastern and eastern Japan, the number of Japan-bound visitors has dropped sharply. In April, the figures logged year-on-year declines of 66.4 percent and 49.5 percent in South Korea and mainland China, respectively, according to an estimate by the Japan National Tourism Organization.
As for Japanese food and farm products, China at present effectively blocks imports of almost all the items, with Chinese authorities not satisfied with certificates currently issued by Japan to indicate radiation levels and place of origin.
Officially, Beijing bans imports from 12 prefectures in Japan, including Fukushima and Tokyo, but Wen told Kan on Sunday that China will lift the embargo on Yamanashi and Yamagata prefectures, reducing the total number of banned prefectures to 10, Japanese Foreign Ministry officials said.
The premier also said China will stop requiring certificates on radiation doses for imports of Japanese food and farm produce other than dairy and fishery products as well as vegetables, the officials said. Currently, such documents are necessary to ship any food and agricultural items from areas other than the banned zones in Japan.
South Korea now prohibits imports of leafy vegetables and mushrooms from Fukushima and its vicinity and also requires products from other areas to be accompanied by certificates indicating radiation levels and places of origin issued by the Japanese government.
Despite some positive developments, Kuniyoshi Shirai, a risk management expert at ACE Consulting Inc., cast doubt on the effectiveness of Kan's strategy of promoting the safety of Japan by visiting Fukushima and eating local farm products together with Wen and Lee.
''The political gesture could merely be interpreted as a kind of test'' for Chinese and South Korean leaders to check the degree of their sympathy and support to Japan, Shirai said. ''Even if politicians munch on Fukushima farm produce, such action would not provide scientific safety assurance to convince people.''
''Instead of trying to appeal to the emotions of (Chinese and South Korean) people with the visual image, Japan should take a logical and reasonable approach and present scientific data on radiation doses in accordance with international standards to reassure people,'' he said.
Shirai said the Japanese government has lost people's trust globally due to its poor handling of information on the Fukushima crisis, saying it is ''totally absurd'' that it took two months for the plant operator to say that a nuclear fuel meltdown may have occurred in reactors at the crisis-hit plant.
To regain public confidence, Japan should launch an aggressive public relations campaign to reach out to people around the world and ease their concerns by hosting seminars and disseminating information through social networking services, Shirai said.
The Japanese government has so far organized briefing sessions in Beijing, Shanghai and Seoul to provide updates on the nuclear crisis to Chinese and South Korean companies.
Some participants in the events asked about radiation contamination in the sea and export containers, as well as the impact of the crisis and power shortage triggered by the emergency on trade and economic activities in Japan, according to the government-linked Japan External Trade Organization.
Japan's desperate efforts to ease widespread concerns over its products caused by the ongoing nuclear crisis in Fukushima Prefecture have borne some fruit, as its important trade partners China and South Korea agreed to take a scientific-based approach for Japanese imports at a trilateral summit through Sunday.
In a show of support for Japan's reconstruction after the devastating March 11 earthquake and tsunami, which triggered the nuclear crisis, the close neighbors vowed to ensure the smooth flow of trade and boost the number of Japan-bound tourists in joint statements issued after the two-day meeting in Tokyo.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao also said in his bilateral talks with Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan on Sunday morning that Beijing will ease its import restrictions on Japanese food and farm produce provided that the safety of Chinese nationals is guaranteed.
Such promises were craved by Japan, whose relatively good image as a producer of high-quality agricultural and industrial items as well as a tourist destination has been shattered by the drawn-out emergency at the radiation-spewing Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
In the outcome documents, the three countries agreed on the importance of taking ''necessary responses prudently on the safety of products based upon scientific evidence in case of a nuclear accident.''
A Japanese official emphasized the significance of the reference to the scientific grounds in the summit documents, saying it is the first time for such expressions to be written in a diplomatic statement following the Fukushima plant crisis.
''I believe this symbolizes political support shown by the leaders of China and South Korea, and hope it will help change the attitudes'' of importers and consumers in the two countries, the official said.
In the summit talks, the three countries also retained the goal set last year of having 26 million people visit each other's countries in 2015, almost double the figure for 2009, and agreed to boost exchanges of the three countries' students.
Japan expects the news footage of Wen and South Korean President Lee Myung Bak visiting Fukushima Prefecture and eating locally grown fruits and vegetables will help alleviate consumer concerns over Japanese products and assure nationals of the two countries that it is safe to travel to the disaster-hit nation.
But it remains unknown whether such political initiatives will truly help restore confidence in Japan among people in South Korea and China, while the crisis at the plant in Fukushima Prefecture continues.
Since the calamities struck northeastern and eastern Japan, the number of Japan-bound visitors has dropped sharply. In April, the figures logged year-on-year declines of 66.4 percent and 49.5 percent in South Korea and mainland China, respectively, according to an estimate by the Japan National Tourism Organization.
As for Japanese food and farm products, China at present effectively blocks imports of almost all the items, with Chinese authorities not satisfied with certificates currently issued by Japan to indicate radiation levels and place of origin.
Officially, Beijing bans imports from 12 prefectures in Japan, including Fukushima and Tokyo, but Wen told Kan on Sunday that China will lift the embargo on Yamanashi and Yamagata prefectures, reducing the total number of banned prefectures to 10, Japanese Foreign Ministry officials said.
The premier also said China will stop requiring certificates on radiation doses for imports of Japanese food and farm produce other than dairy and fishery products as well as vegetables, the officials said. Currently, such documents are necessary to ship any food and agricultural items from areas other than the banned zones in Japan.
South Korea now prohibits imports of leafy vegetables and mushrooms from Fukushima and its vicinity and also requires products from other areas to be accompanied by certificates indicating radiation levels and places of origin issued by the Japanese government.
Despite some positive developments, Kuniyoshi Shirai, a risk management expert at ACE Consulting Inc., cast doubt on the effectiveness of Kan's strategy of promoting the safety of Japan by visiting Fukushima and eating local farm products together with Wen and Lee.
''The political gesture could merely be interpreted as a kind of test'' for Chinese and South Korean leaders to check the degree of their sympathy and support to Japan, Shirai said. ''Even if politicians munch on Fukushima farm produce, such action would not provide scientific safety assurance to convince people.''
''Instead of trying to appeal to the emotions of (Chinese and South Korean) people with the visual image, Japan should take a logical and reasonable approach and present scientific data on radiation doses in accordance with international standards to reassure people,'' he said.
Shirai said the Japanese government has lost people's trust globally due to its poor handling of information on the Fukushima crisis, saying it is ''totally absurd'' that it took two months for the plant operator to say that a nuclear fuel meltdown may have occurred in reactors at the crisis-hit plant.
To regain public confidence, Japan should launch an aggressive public relations campaign to reach out to people around the world and ease their concerns by hosting seminars and disseminating information through social networking services, Shirai said.
The Japanese government has so far organized briefing sessions in Beijing, Shanghai and Seoul to provide updates on the nuclear crisis to Chinese and South Korean companies.
Some participants in the events asked about radiation contamination in the sea and export containers, as well as the impact of the crisis and power shortage triggered by the emergency on trade and economic activities in Japan, according to the government-linked Japan External Trade Organization.
