China and Japan reached an agreement over the discharge of wastewater from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant, the two governments said on Friday, paving the way for a restart of seafood shipments from Japan to China.

China and Japan may be close to a breakthrough over Beijing’s ban on seafood imports from Japan, imposed last year in response to the release of treated radioactive water into the sea from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant,

China had banned purchases of seafood originating in Japan citing risk of radioactive contamination after Tokyo Electric Power started releasing treated water from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean last year.

Japan and China are making final preparations towards the resumption of imports by China of Japanese seafood and other marine products after regulatory monitoring of radioactive water was expanded, public broadcaster NHK reported on Friday.

China said Friday it would "gradually resume" importing seafood from Japan after imposing a blanket ban in August of last year over the release of water from the disabled Fukushima nuclear plant. "China will begin to adjust the relevant measures based on scientific evidence and gradually resume imports of Japanese aquatic products that meet the regulation requirements and standards,

China said Friday that it would "gradually resume" importing seafood from Japan after imposing a blanket ban last year over the release of water from the disabled Fukushima nuclear plant.The release,