China's quality watchdog said today it has asked local authorities to monitor food imported from Japan, fearing that it could be contaminated with radioactive materials, in the wake of the nuclear disaster at its Fukushima nuclear power plant.
"Local quality watchdogs should test food from Japan for radiation to ensure the safety of China's food imports," the General Administration of Quality Supervision Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) said.
In 2010, bilateral trade between China and Japan reached $303.06 billion, according to data from the ministry of commerce.
China imported $593 million worth of agricultural products from Japan in 2010, accounting for 0.33 per cent of Japan's total exports to China, it said.
The country had been Japan's biggest trading partner and export destination as of the end of 2010.
Meanwhile, China has dispatched rescue teams and aid after massive earthquake that struck Japan's Northeast coast on March 11, damaging the country's nuclear power plants.
An official media report from Macao, which is part of China, said that supermarkets have seen significant drop in sales of Japanese food recently.
A representative of local supermarket chain Vang Kei said since the leak from the nuclear power plant in Fukushima, the supermarkets' sales of Japanese products have " dropped significantly."
"When people get a clearer picture of what's happening, it will take some time before they start buying again," the representative said, adding that imports of Japanese food items and beverages will continue to be the same as long as the goods are not shipped via radiation-affected areas.
All shipments from Japan will go through two radiation checks, one in Japan and the other in Macao, to ensure safety before the products are available on the market, he added.