On Sunday April 14, Japan and China agreed at a high-level economic dialogue on steps that could pave the way for Beijing to lift a long ban on Japanese beef, which is the latest sign of recent improvement in relations between the Asian powers.
Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono said the two countries generally agreed to sign a quarantine pact, which is a prerequisite for ending the Chinese ban on imports of beef from Japan, introduced in 2001, when the first case of rabies in Japan was discovered.
“This is an important step” in the direction of lifting the ban, Kono said, noting that the contract will be signed “in the near future” without specifying specific dates.
Six ministers from each country tried to find ways to create more favorable conditions for companies doing business in each other's country, amid fears of a slowdown in economic growth, caused in part by the ongoing trade war between China and the United States.
During the economic dialogue, Japan also asked China to lift restrictions on imports of Japanese food introduced after the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011 due to concerns about radioactive contamination.
