China News Service, United Nations, August 8th. Chinese Ambassador for Disarmament Affairs Li Song made a special speech at the Tenth Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons on the 8th. Serious concerns were expressed over the issue of water discharge to the sea.
Li Song said that Japan discharges contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident into the ocean, and its potential impact on the marine ecological environment, food safety and human health cannot be ignored.
The Japanese government's unilateral decision to discharge nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean is purely out of economic cost considerations. It has neither exhausted safe disposal methods nor fully consulted with neighboring countries and international institutions.
It is neither responsible nor moral to transfer risks to the international community out of selfishness.
Not only the people in Japan are strongly dissatisfied, but China, South Korea, Russia and Pacific island countries have also expressed concern.
Li Song said that the international community is highly concerned about the legitimacy of Japan's nuclear-polluted water discharge plan, reliability of data, effectiveness of purification devices and uncertainty of environmental impact.
The IAEA working group's assessment of Japan's plan to discharge the sea has not yet come to a final conclusion, but instead put forward many suggestions for improvement.
Regrettably, the Japanese side turned a deaf ear to this, continued to advance preparations for the expulsion, and hastily approved the expulsion plan.
This attempt to create a fait accompli is not the act of a responsible country.
Li Song stressed that the discharge of Japan's nuclear-polluted water into the sea is not a private matter of the Japanese side.
The Japanese side should seriously respond to the concerns of the international community, return to the track of full consultation with stakeholders and relevant international institutions, and stop forcing the plan to discharge nuclear-polluted water into the sea.
The Japanese side should ensure that the nuclear-contaminated water is disposed of in an open, transparent, scientific and safe manner, including considering alternatives to discharge into the sea, and subject to strict supervision by the International Atomic Energy Agency.
This is the touchstone to test whether Japan can effectively fulfill its international responsibilities.
(Finish)