TOKYO (Reuters) -Hong Kong has strengthened inspections of vegetable imports from Japan, expanding the scope of tightened controls beyond seafood after Tokyo confirmed plans to release treated radioactive water from Fukushima, Jiji news agency reported on Wednesday.
Hong Kong had said it would ban seafood products from a large number of Japanese prefectures if Tokyo went ahead with the plan for discharges into the sea from the wrecked nuclear power plant.
Jiji also reported customs clearance in China of Japanese drinks and snacks was being delayed significantly, raising concerns among exporters.
Tokyo has said it would begin releasing Fukushima water some time this summer. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) backed the plan this month.
(Reporting by Chang-Ran Kim, Kiyoshi Takenaka, Kaori Kaneko; Editing by Christopher Cushing and John Stonestreet)
