By Kassahun Chanie
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Chinese President Xi Jinping decided to look for a peaceful way to resolve their disagreement over effluent from the Fukushima nuclear facility, following their first meeting in a year.
In San Francisco, Kishida told reporters, "I felt that this should be handled calmly and scientifically." He continued, "We will have expert-level talks based on science." He called the gathering "very meaningful."
Xi told Kishida Japan’s discharge is a matter of international public interest and the country needs to handle the issue in a responsible and constructive manner, China Central Television reported.
The meeting Thursday came a day after Joe Biden hailed an improvement in US relations with China following his own talks with Xi. This more conciliatory tone made it easier for Japan, a US ally, to continue bolstering relations with its largest trading partner.
The disputes between the Asian neighbors have involved everything from semiconductors to radioactive waste and the treatment of Japanese nationals who are being held in China. There is still simmering tension over uninhabited islands close to Taiwan.
Kishida said he pleaded with Xi to lift China's embargo on Japanese seafood imports, which was put in place in reaction to Japan's oceanic release of effluent from the defunct Fukushima nuclear power plant. The emission is safe, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Japanese businesses have seen a decline in sales in China as a result of the wastewater issue, including cosmetics manufacturer Shiseido Co., which last week lowered its earnings projection. A poll released last month indicated that the Japanese public's perception of China has become more negative than it has been since 2014. This is largely due to the Chinese response.