China raises ‘deep concerns’ over Japan’s plan to release Fukushima plant water into ocean

Foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters on Monday that Beijing had through diplomatic channels asked the Japanese government to “adopt a responsible attitude”, noting the environmental and safety impact of the radioactive material that leaked from the Fukushima Daiichi power plant after the devastating 2011 nuclear accident there.

“The Japanese side often asks other countries to fulfil their international responsibilities, and right now, the international society is looking at Japan – so Japan cannot turn a blind eye or turn a deaf ear,” he said. “This issue is very significant, so Japan needs to be responsible to the international public interests, which is also being responsible to the Japanese people’s interests.”

Japanese ministers are expected to meet on Tuesday to formally decide, after years of discussion, to gradually release the radioactive water stored at the Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean, local media reported. While the water that has been used to cool melted fuel in the nuclear reactors is treated, the process cannot remove radioactive tritium – a by-product of nuclear reactors – and the planned disposal has raised concerns from Japan’s fishing industry and consumers, as well as from China and South Korea.

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Radioactive water from Japan’s devastated Fukushima plant may be released into Pacific Ocean

Radioactive water from Japan’s devastated Fukushima plant may be released into Pacific Ocean

Zhao said on Friday that he hoped Japan would conduct a “thorough assessment” of the treatment process for the tritium-contaminated waste water, and “disclose relevant information in a voluntary, timely, strict, accurate, open and transparent manner, and make prudent decisions after full consultation with neighbouring countries”.