Photo/Illutration Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, left, holds talks with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, second from right, on July 10 in Kuala Lumpur. (Provided by the Foreign Ministry)

Japan and China are preparing to resume exports of Japanese beef to China, marking a potential breakthrough in trade relations after a 24-year suspension.

According to diplomatic sources, the two governments are poised to formally begin negotiations following the long-delayed activation of a key animal health and quarantine agreement.

China is expected to complete the necessary procedures to bring the agreement into force as early as July 11.

The move would significantly advance efforts to lift the ban that has been in place since 2001 due to concerns over bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), commonly known as mad cow disease.

The anticipated breakthrough coincides with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng’s visit to Osaka for China’s National Day celebration at the Osaka-Kansai Expo.

He is scheduled to meet with Hiroshi Moriyama, secretary-general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and head of a cross-party parliamentary group focused on Japan-China relations.

During their meeting, the two officials are expected to confirm the implementation of the animal health agreement.

Moriyama represents a constituency in Kagoshima Prefecture, one of Japan’s major beef-producing regions. He has been actively advocating for the resumption of beef exports since his visit to China in July last year.

Behind the scenes, officials from both sides have held multiple rounds of talks since April to work out the details.

Separately, Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya met on July 10 with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, in Kuala Lumpur on the sidelines of the ASEAN Plus Three foreign ministers’ meeting.

During their 45-minute bilateral talks, the two diplomats discussed accelerating the beef export resumption process and emphasized the importance of swiftly enacting the quarantine agreement.

Although the two countries signed the necessary agreement in 2019, progress stalled as the Chinese side delayed its domestic ratification.

Japanese officials have expressed frustration, with one senior diplomat noting that the agreement had become a political bargaining chip.