SHANGHIA: Takashi Ito, owner of a restaurant in Shanghai, had been looking forward to China’s lifting of a ban on imports of Japanese seafood — only to have his hopes dashed this week amid an increasingly heated diplomatic spat between Beijing and Tokyo.
Tensions between the Asian neighbors flared up after new Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said this month that a Chinese attack on Taiwan threatening Japan’s survival could trigger a military response.
China, which regards the democratically governed island as its own, responded with ire. In addition to reinstating a ban on Japanese marine produce, it has boycotted travel to Japan, and threatened stern countermeasures. Numerous meetings and cultural events have also been canceled.
“Every time a major incident like this happens, we are in great pain because our hearts rise and fall as the relationship between Japan and China rattles every time. It’s very painful,” Ito told Reuters at his Japanese seafood restaurant Merase.
In perhaps a worrying sign, the restaurant also had a few cancelations on Wednesday night, although the potential customers didn’t say why. Chinese customers generally account for half of Merase’s bookings.
