每日英語跟讀 Ep.K636: Concerns Mount for Japanese Eateries in China as Fukushima Water Discharge Looms
Just over three weeks have passed since China heightened its scrutiny of Japanese food imports due to radiation concerns, and Kazuyuki Tanioka, the owner of an upscale sushi restaurant in Beijing, is already grappling with fears about the future of his business. Tanioka's Toya, a renowned establishment that has endured the challenges posed by COVID-19 restrictions, now faces a double blow – a decline in customers and a scarcity of seafood – in anticipation of Japan's decision to release treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea. This impending crisis is causing serious concerns for Tanioka, who describes the situation as a potential life or death scenario.
自中國因擔心輻射汙染而加強對日本食品進口的審查後，僅僅過去三個多星期，位於北京的高檔壽司店老闆谷岡和幸已經開始對生意前景感到擔憂。谷岡的東也是一家著名的壽司店，撐過了COVID-19限制措施帶來的挑戰，現在又面臨了顧客減少和海鮮短缺的雙重打擊－皆因為日本計劃將來自福島核電廠的處理過的放射性水排入海洋。這場迫在眉睫的危機讓谷岡深感憂慮，他認為這將是生死攸關的情況。
China stands as the largest importer of Japanese seafood. Following the Fukushima nuclear disaster caused by the 2011 tsunami and earthquake, China initially banned food and agricultural product imports from five Japanese prefectures. This restriction was subsequently expanded to include ten prefectures out of Japan's total of 47. Despite these bans, Japan has consistently relied on China as its principal seafood export market. However, the recent surge in import restrictions followed the approval of Japan's plan by the United Nations' nuclear watchdog to discharge treated water from the Fukushima site. China, along with domestic opposition, strongly criticized this decision, citing potential threats to marine life and human health.
中國是日本海鮮的最大進口國。在2011年的海嘯和地震損壞福島核電廠後，中國禁止了來自日本五個縣的食品和農產品進口。此後，中國將禁令擴大到日本47個縣中的十個縣。儘管有這些禁令，日本一直將中國視為主要的海鮮出口市場。然而，最近的進口限制激增是在聯合國核監督機構批准日本計劃將處理過的水排放到福島核電廠的海上之後。中國政府和國內的反對派強烈批評了這一決定，稱這種排放對海洋生物和人類健康構成潛在威脅。
The impact of these restrictions on imports has been substantial, with severe delays at customs and a notable decline in customers. Strident warnings circulating on Chinese social media platforms, asserting that Japanese food is radioactive and should be boycotted, have further deterred potential patrons. Kenji Kobayashi, a Japanese restaurant owner in Beijing, has seen a significant drop in his customer base this month, emphasizing the disparity between China's viewpoint of contaminated water and Japan's perspective of purified water as a key factor affecting public perception.
這些限制對進口貿易的影響非常大，造成海關嚴重延誤和顧客顯著減少。在中國社交媒體平台上流傳的強烈警告聲稱日本食品具有放射性，應該對其杯葛，這進一步阻止了潛在的顧客。在北京的日本餐廳老闆小林健二表示，本月他的顧客基數大幅下降，強調中國認為水受到污染，而日本則認為水被淨化，這種觀點的差異對公眾看法產生了重要影響。
Beyond restaurants, seafood suppliers are also grappling with the consequences. Longer wait times at Chinese ports, now averaging around three weeks, have prompted some suppliers to consider diverting shipments to third countries to circumvent the restrictions. This, however, presents challenges and financial burdens. Japanese officials have appealed to their Chinese counterparts to avoid a complete ban, but amidst the tensions, some Chinese diners support the stricter checks for the sake of citizen safety. With the impending discharge of Fukushima water, Japanese restaurant owners are adapting their strategies, exploring alternative seafood sources within China or from foreign suppliers, in a bid to ensure the continuity of their businesses.
除了餐廳外，海鮮供應商也面臨連串影響。中國港口的等待時間增加到大約三周左右，這促使一些供應商考慮將貨物轉運到第三國，以規避這些限制。然而，這帶來了挑戰和財務負擔。日本官員已呼籲中國官方避免完全禁止進口，但在緊張局勢中，一些中國食客支持更嚴格的審查，以保障市民的安全。隨著福島水的排放在即，日本餐廳的業主也正在調整他們的策略，探索中國境內或外國供應商的海鮮替代來源，以確保生意能夠持續。
Reference article: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/japanese-eateries-china-fear-ruin-fukushima-water-discharge-looms-2023-07-31/