Japan welcomes Taiwan's lifting of food import restrictions
Japan welcomes Taiwan's plan to lift restrictions on food imports from Japan that have been in place since the 2011 triple meltdown at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said Tuesday.
The Taiwanese move will be "strong support" for the reconstruction of areas damaged by the March 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster, Koizumi said at a press conference.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said at a separate press conference that the Japanese government hopes that the Taiwanese move will help deepen economic relations and friendly ties between the two sides.
Koizumi and Hayashi urged China and South Korea to follow suit.
Currently, Taiwan requires certificates of origin for all Japanese foods and radiation test reports for products from Fukushima and the nearby four prefectures. Taiwan is expected to fully abolish the requirements by the end of this year.
[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
