China on 11 July brought into force the bilateral Agreement on Cooperation in Animal Health and Quarantine, removing the principal legal obstacle to importing Japanese beef for the first time since a bovine spongiform encephalopathy outbreak in 2001 prompted a blanket ban. The move ends a 24-year freeze on a trade potentially worth hundreds of millions of dollars to Japan’s cattle industry. The decision was conveyed during talks in Osaka between Liberal Democratic Party Secretary General Hiroshi Moriyama and visiting Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, who is in Japan for China National Pavilion Day at Expo 2025. Moriyama said the step represents “a significant advance” toward reopening the market, while Japan’s Foreign Ministry confirmed the accord had formally taken effect after Beijing completed domestic procedures. Signed in 2019 but stalled until now, the pact sets veterinary and sanitary standards that both governments must observe. Technical negotiations on detailed inspection protocols and certification requirements are expected to begin immediately, with industry officials hoping shipments could resume within months, subject to final safety clearances. China is the world’s largest beef-importing nation, and demand for premium Wagyu is strong among affluent consumers. Japanese exporters, who have faced limited growth at home, see re-entry to the Chinese market as a major commercial opportunity, although some companies voiced concern about possible quota limits and documentation costs. Moriyama also asked Beijing to consider lending new giant pandas to Japanese zoos, but neither side disclosed any outcome. The talks took place as the China Pavilion celebrated surpassing 760,000 visitors since the expo opened on 13 April, underscoring the broader diplomatic backdrop to the trade breakthrough.