ABSTRACT
As the Chinese New Year approached in 2007, another food scare involving Chinese products flared up in Japan. The culprit this time was Chinese dumplings (gyōza or jiaozi), often eaten during Chinese New Year celebrations. The incident itself can be described as a minor diplomatic irritant, and it appears that both sides dealt with the matter in a routine manner through diplomatic channels. Chinese Foreign Ministry Official He Yafei expressed his regret and told Japanese Foreign Minister Kōmura Masahiko that the Chinese authorities had stopped exporting the dumplings and were investigating the matter (Asahi.com 2008a). In light of this issue, the two governments also agreed to speed up the ratification of a treaty designed to further Sino-Japanese cooperation on criminal investigations.
