China has lifted an 18-year-long ban on beef imported from Japan in a fresh sign that Beijing is trying to warm its relationship with Tokyo, as well as feed a growing appetite for meat. The import ban on beef from Japanese cows under 30 months old has been immediately removed, according to a notice published by the General Administration of Customs on Thursday, paving the way for one of the most popular Japanese agricultural products to return to the dining table of the world’s largest meat consumer after nearly two decades. The decision, which also includes lifting restrictions on Japanese pork and mutton, came ... (full story)