On Wednesday, China abruptly suspended imports of Japanese seafood, citing the need for further monitoring of water conditions, and halting imports of Hokkaido scallops, which had just embarked on their first trip to China. However, the move is not really due to a technical issue — it is another blatant act of political retaliation. China’s weaponization of the economy is nothing new, and what Japan faces is all too familiar to Taiwan.
In 2021, China, with the intention of creating internal turmoil in Taiwan and making farmers blame the government for damages, suspended Taiwanese pineapple imports right at the peak of harvest season. However, Beijing never anticipated that Taiwan’s true friend — Japan — would step up at such a crucial moment.
On March 11 that year — which coincided with the tenth anniversary of the 2011’s massive, deadly earthquake — Japanese who had long remembered Taiwan’s support during the disaster stepped forward to return the favor. Within just a few days, Japanese orders for Taiwanese pineapples surged to three times the total of the previous year.
Even during the off-season and cold weather, Japanese consumers still grabbed up box after box of pineapples. By contrast, pineapples from the Philippines — which were half the cost — received little attention. Japan did more than provide verbal support — it used genuine sentiment and concrete action to tell Taiwan: “You are not alone.”
The situation Japan faces is almost identical to what Taiwan dealt with back then. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s statement that a Chinese naval blockade of Taiwan would constitute a “survival-threatening situation” merely reflects geopolitical reality, yet China continues to retaliate. Now, it is attempting to use seafood as a tool for exerting political pressure.
US Ambassador to Japan George Glass immediately voiced public support, sharing a social media post calling China’s previous ban on Japanese seafood “unjustified” and describing Hokkaido scallops as “the perfect start to any meal.” He criticized the ban as economic coercion — a “hard habit to break” for Beijing.
“But just as the US stood by Japan during China’s last unwarranted ban on Japanese seafood, we will be there for our ally again this time,” he said.
The US’ swift response demonstrates the unshakable strength of the US-Japan alliance, once again exposing the Chinese Communist Party’s “wolf warrior” tactics to the world.
Taiwan and Japan are not just neighboring countries, but a community with a shared destiny.
Former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe’s famous remark that “a Taiwan contingency is a Japan contingency” reflects an undeniable geopolitical truth.
By simply reiterating this fact, Takaichi has incurred China’s sweeping retaliation through the tourism, entertainment and trade sanctions — the very tactics typically used on Taiwan, directed at Japan.
True friendship is revealed in times of adversity. When Taiwan needed help the most, Japan stepped up without hesitation to help pineapple farmers overcome their worries.
Now that Japanese fishermen are under the same pressure and Takaichi has even received death threats for supporting Taiwan, how could Taiwanese — who have always valued reciprocity — turn a blind eye?
A Japan contingency is a Taiwan contingency. If we do not stand with Japan’s scallops now, when would we?
Wang Hui-sheng is a founding member of the East Asian Research Institute.
Translated by Kyra Gustavsen
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