In this article, I aim to reveal another important truth to the citizens of countries that have been swayed by aid money from China and have become subordinate to it.
In this article, I aim to reveal another important truth to the citizens of countries that have been swayed by aid money from China and have become subordinate to it.
August 19, 2024
Below is an article published on the front page of the Nikkei Shimbun on August 17.
This article exposed the fact that China is a nation of “bottomless evil” and “plausible lies.”
Even readers of the Nikkei who are not readers of this column must have come to fully recognize that fact.
To the citizens of countries affiliated with UN agencies controlled by China, and to those of countries that have aligned with China due to being bought off by Chinese aid money, this column brings the truth.
In this piece, I aim to present another fact to the people of countries that have been enticed by Chinese aid and thus rendered subservient to China.
After the war, China fabricated various accusations against Japan and used them to repeatedly extract massive sums in aid from Japan.
In fact, up until just last year, China was receiving enormous amounts of aid money from Japan.
Now, the money you believe to be Chinese aid is in reality Japanese money—taxes diligently paid by the Japanese people through their hard work.
You must understand this.
Chinese Fishing Boats Swarm Off Sanriku Coast
Despite its ongoing blanket ban on Japanese seafood, Chinese fishing boats are actively operating off the Sanriku coast, one of the world’s three richest fishing grounds, according to an investigation by the Nihon Keizai Shimbun.
China has maintained a strong stance of opposition toward the release of treated water from the Tokyo Electric Power Company’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, which began in August 2023.
However, a discrepancy has emerged between the official stance of the Chinese government and the actual activities of Chinese fishing vessels.
Contradiction Between the Ban and Actual Operations
“Right now, we’re seeing the highest number of Chinese fishing boats in years swarming the Sanriku coast,” said one Japanese fisherman who continues to fish in the area.
The region is known for its rich fisheries due to the confluence of warm and cold ocean currents.
Since the 2010s, large numbers of Chinese fishing vessels have begun to flood the area.
Nonetheless, in August of last year, China unilaterally imposed a total ban on Japanese seafood, citing claims not based on scientific evidence, in response to the release of treated water.
It was expected that Chinese fishing operations near this area—close to Fukushima—would significantly decrease.
To uncover the reality, Nikkei analyzed data from “Global Fishing Watch” (GFW), which uses signals from AIS (Automatic Identification System) devices onboard vessels to track ship movements.
GFW is a service launched by a U.S.-based non-profit organization in cooperation with Google to promote transparency in global fishing activities.
The Sanriku region typically enters its peak fishing season around April, when the rough winter seas settle.
According to GFW, Chinese fishing vessels were already active by late March this year.
Large fleets departed from several Chinese fishing ports, including Fuzhou in Fujian Province, and headed toward Japan.
Subsequently, they passed through the Tsugaru Strait and began operations off the Sanriku coast.
To grasp the extent of Chinese fishing activity, Nikkei calculated and compared operating hours using GFW data.
The area analyzed lies north of 36°N and west of 148°E—within Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)—where Chinese vessels frequently operate.
It is also a prime fishing area where Japanese boats are active.
The analysis showed that Chinese fishing hours dropped during the COVID-19 pandemic but rebounded sharply in 2022.
Even after the treated water release, activity did not wane, and operations remained vigorous in 2024.
In April, activity peaked, with operations reaching about 5,000 hours.
On busy days, up to 50 vessels were recorded fishing.
Nikkei requested a response from the Chinese side regarding the findings.
On the 19th, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs replied,
“The emergency measures on Japanese seafood are legitimate and rational actions taken to protect our citizens from the ocean discharge of contaminated water from the nuclear power plant.”
(Reported by Shota Fujii, Kento Awashima, and Yuri Morita)