China warns of action over Japan’s decision to dump radioactive Fukushima water into the sea
- Beijing among several of Japan’s neighbours expressing concern and regret about Tokyo’s announcement it will release contaminated water in two years
- Greenpeace Japan says radionuclides discharged into the sea may damage the DNA of humans and other organisms
China’s foreign ministry on Tuesday blasted the Japanese government for being “extremely irresponsible” in its decision to release 1 million tonnes of waste water into the Pacific Ocean in two years, a decision that has prompted fierce opposition from the local fishing industry as well as neighbouring countries, including South Korea, and environmental groups. However, the United States said the approach was acceptable.
“The US side has always paid a lot of attention to environmental issues. We hope the US side can be impartial in its treatment towards environmental issues of real concern,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian.
02:58
Japan’s plan to release radioactive water from Fukushima nuclear plant into sea sparks outrage
Suga said the Japanese government would “take every measure to absolutely guarantee the safety of the treated water and address misinformation”. He said his cabinet would meet again within a week to work out the details of the plan.