By Liz Lee and Sakura Murakami

BEIJING/TOKYO (Reuters) – Seafood trade is expected to be high on the agenda on Wednesday as Japan’s foreign minister visits China, Japan’s biggest export market for aquatic products until it was banned. in Beijing as a protest against Tokyo releasing treated radioactive wastewater into the ocean.

In Takeshi Iwaya’s first visit to the Chinese capital since he became Japan’s foreign minister in October, he will hold talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and meet with other Chinese officials.

“I believe it is important to have concrete and visible examples of the future possibilities of Japan-China relations,” Iwaya said at the start of the meeting with Wang.

“It is important for Japan and China to fulfill their responsibilities and together continue to maintain peace and prosperity in this region and the international community,” he said.

Wang also emphasized that the importance of the relationship between the countries is more than bilateral relations.

“If China-Japan relations are strong, Asia will be stronger,” Wang said.

The main sticking point in bilateral relations is Japan’s discharge of wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant. Beijing strongly opposed and condemned Tokyo’s decision and tightened inspections of Japanese products in response.

China imposed a total ban last year after Japan began releasing treated radioactive water, but the two governments reached an agreement in September that would pave the way for a resumption. also on seafood shipments from Japan to China.

The newspaper reported this week that China is considering lifting a ban on Japanese seafood imports.

But China still wants assurances from Tokyo that it will honor its commitment to set up a long-term international monitoring arrangement and allow stakeholders such as China to conduct independent sampling and monitoring of treated water.

With adequate monitoring, China will “adjust relevant measures” and gradually restore imports that meet standards and regulations, a foreign ministry spokesman said. ministry on Tuesday.

The one-day visit follows an agreement between the leaders of the two countries that they will work towards a mutually beneficial strategic relationship.

Relations between the neighboring countries are at a “critical period of growth and development”, Chinese President Xi Jinping said last month when he met with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in sideline at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Lima, Peru.

Xi said the two should be “partners, not threats”.

Relations between China and Japan, trade partners with close economic and investment ties but rivals in security and territorial claims, are complicated by long-standing geopolitical disagreements and sensitivities during the war

As the first Japanese foreign minister to visit since April last year, Iwaya may raise his country’s concerns about China’s military activities around Japan as well as regional issues including North Korea.

Japan expressed “grave concern” last month over North Korea’s security alliance with Russia, where North Korea stands to gain advanced military technology and combat experience.

Ukrainian and allied assessments show that Pyongyang has sent about 12,000 troops to support Russia’s war in Ukraine. Ukraine warned this week that North Korea could send more personnel and equipment for Moscow’s army.

On less sensitive topics, China may push Japan for a return to visa policies.

Last month, Beijing extended visa-free arrangements to include Japan until the end of 2025, restoring a policy suspended during the pandemic.

China, which is adding countries to its visa-free list, has also extended the stay period to 30 days from 15. Japanese citizens could enter China without a visa for up to 14 days before the COVID- 19.

Japan has not decided on a reciprocal step but China says it hopes that Japan will move towards improving people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.