Calm needed after food scandal
(From The Japan Times Feb. 11 issue)

中国産食品について冷静な対応を

As the mystery surrounding incidents of food poisoning caused by gyoza dumplings imported from China intensifies, it is becoming even more important for Japanese to avoid hysteria over Chinese imports, and for Japanese media to be coolheaded in reporting about China and its products. It goes without saying that Japanese and Chinese authorities should deepen cooperation to find out how the poisonous chemicals got into the gyoza.

Two kinds of pesticides were found in the gyoza from a factory in Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province: methamidophos, an organo-phosphate, in gyoza made Oct. 1 and 20 (even inside an airtight package); and dichlorvos, another organo-phosphate, in gyoza made June 3. Both were detected in high concentration. A package of the June 3 gyoza was found to carry benzene, which is not used in Japan as a farm chemical solvent. The possibility cannot be ruled out that the chemicals got into the products in China, even during the production process. In Beijing, a high-ranking quarantine official mentioned the possibility that an "extreme element" deliberately placed the chemicals in the gyoza.

The development may lead Japanese people to think that all the food from China has safety problems. But such an attitude would only fuel anti-Japanese feelings among Chinese people and harm bilateral relations. The reality is that interdependence between Japan and China is deep. Slightly less than 70 percent of imported frozen food is processed in China. Shunning all food from China would only lead to rises in food prices in Japan. The larger picture is that China replaced the United States as Japan's largest trade partner in 2006.

That year, Japan and China agreed to seek a "strategic relationship that is mutually beneficial in such matters as energy development, environmental protection and efforts to solve North Korea's nuclear-weapons issue. Last year saw Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao visit each other's country. Chinese President Hu Jintao is scheduled to visit Japan in April for the first time. Thus the gyoza incident should not be used to fan distrust of China.

中国産ギョーザの中毒問題について、メディア、国民の双方に冷静な対応が望まれる。日本、中国の関係当局は、農薬がギョーザに混入された経緯について調査するため、さらに協力すべきである。

河北省石家荘の食品工場で製造されたギョーザからメタミドホス、ジクロルボスという高濃度の有機リン系殺虫剤が検出された。また、包装の袋から、農薬の溶剤として日本では使用が許可されていないベンゼンも検出された。

日中両国は06年に、エネルギー開発、環境保護、北朝鮮の核開発について互恵的「戦略的関係」を目指すことに同意した。昨年、福田首相と温家宝中国首相は相互訪問をした。4月には胡錦濤国家主席が初訪日をする。ギョーザ問題は中国不信のもとにしてはならない。