Based on my own experiences working as a correspondent in Japan, I know that food safety is a delicate issue there.
In 1984, a criminal gang tried to extort money from confectionery makers by placing cyanide-laced sweets on store shelves, triggering an extensive scare across the country. The incident pushed one of the country's biggest candy makers to the brink of bankruptcy.
Exports from China to Japan have been increasing dramatically in recent years, and food is one of the most important export categories.
There have been several disputes between China and Japan about the safety of these goods.
Given the huge volume of the bilateral trade, it is natural that such disputes emerge. Given such circumstances, it is necessary for the two countries to have a cool-minded and objective attitude when it comes to settling disputes.
A constructive stance for working through such problems would be to facilitate an unbiased investigation and ensure that all analyses and conclusions are free from manipulation and influence.
It would hurt the interests of both sides if either one of them tried to "demonize" the other or to inflate a trade matter into a political dispute. After all, an overt or baseless emphasis on conspiracies or ideology will only make it harder to catch the person responsible for harming the health of the public.
Fortunately, the Japanese and Chinese investigators have all demonstrated strict professionalism in their inspections. The Chinese watchdog responded in a timely manner to the Japanese media reports, and the maker of the dumplings cooperated with the inspectors actively.
After seeing conditions at the plant that made the dumplings, the Japanese team said the factory was run properly and that no malpractice had been found.
The responsible and sensible attitudes of the Japanese and Chinese authorities have served to facilitate the investigation.
