Beijing, 31 August 2023 (TDI): Chinese Ambassador to Japan Wu Jianghao met with Japan’s Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Masayuki Okano to clarify that China opposes Japan’s dumping of radioactive water into the ocean.
Ambassador Wu expressed his concern about the release of nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean that has threatened marine life and the health and safety of all humans.
He stated that this decision would be harmful to all of the international community, but it would affect China the most.
He has urged Japan to stop releasing radioactive waste into the ocean and work with the international community to dispose of the water in a scientific, safe, and transparent way.
Ambassador Wu highlighted China’s concern and asked Japan to answer some questions.
Questions
He asked about the radionuclides that are present in the Fukushima water other than tritium. Japan claims that these have been treated as well, but there is still no effective treatment for many other nuclides other than tritium.
He also enquired about the monitoring of marine life and its effects on them, as Japan’s current plan to monitor marine life is not systematic and comprehensive and it does not provide a long-term assessment.
Japan also refuses to take other stakeholders in confidence by creating an international monitoring committee with the participation of the stakeholders.
IAEA is monitoring the disposal of radioactive water, but according to Ambassador Wu, it is lacking in transparency.
Also Read: US approves Japan treated radioactive water discharge
He made it clear with his statements that China opposes Japan’s dumping of radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant.
Furthermore, Ambassador Wu complained about the large number of nuisance calls that are obstructing in the way of normal operations.
He stressed the Japanese government to take legal action against these calls and urged them to ensure the safety of Chinese embassies and Chinese citizens in Japan as China has ensured the safety of Japanese embassies and citizens in China.