China began checking ballast water loaded on cargo ships arriving from Japan at some key ports, likely for radiation level inspections, at roughly the same time the neighboring country began releasing treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant, trade sources said Thursday.
The monitoring of ballast water — seawater used to provide stability and maneuverability during a voyage — began as Beijing voiced its strong opposition to Japan's release of the treated water into the Pacific Ocean, which commenced on Aug. 24. China also suspended all seafood imports from Japan due to safety concerns.
Even before the water discharge began, Beijing had already tightened controls on marine product imports from Japan in July by introducing blanket radiation testing.