The Japanese government on Friday declared that China had lifted its decades-long ban on Japanese beef imports, signaling a potential return to the trade after 24 years. The move follows discussions held earlier that day between Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and Hiroshi Moriyama, secretary-general of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, during which China finalized its internal quarantine procedures.

According to diplomatic sources, Vice Premier He Lifeng informed Hiroshi Moriyama that China is ready to ratify a 2019 bilateral agreement, marking a step toward restarting Japanese beef exports.

China halted imports of Japanese beef in 2001 due to a mad cow disease outbreak. Although the two countries signed a bilateral agreement on animal health and quarantine in 2019, progress on the Chinese side was slow in completing the necessary procedures for its implementation.

“We saw a step forward; it will lead to the first beef exports to China in 24 years,” said Moriyama.

The recent progress on beef exports comes after China lifted its blanket ban on Japanese seafood in June. The restrictions were initially imposed in 2023, following Japan’s release of treated radioactive wastewater from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

Meanwhile, a senior official from Japan’s agriculture ministry noted that the timeline for China to lift its import ban remains uncertain, with quarantine-related technical discussions still underway.

Recent progress in Japan-China relations highlights Beijing’s intent to deepen ties with Tokyo amid growing tensions with Washington. In Tokyo, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Keiichiro Tachibana stated during a press briefing that Japan will urge China through multiple diplomatic channels to accelerate the procedures required for resuming Japanese beef imports.

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