China News Service, Beijing, July 22 (Reporter Zhang Weiran) Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin hosted a regular press conference on July 22.
A reporter asked: Japan's Atomic Energy Regulatory Commission held an extraordinary meeting today and officially approved the plan for the discharge of nuclear polluted water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant formulated by Tokyo Electric Power Company. What is China's response to this?
Wang Wenbin: Since the Japanese government made the wrong decision to release the Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean in April last year, the international community and the Japanese people have not stopped questioning and opposing it.
All parties are generally concerned about Japan's discharge of nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean, and the possible impact on the marine environment and public health of the countries along the Pacific coast. Many questions have been raised regarding validity, uncertainty of environmental impact, etc.
The International Atomic Energy Agency has established a technical working group and visited Japan twice for on-site inspections and assessments. So far, it has not reached a conclusive opinion on the Japanese side's plan to discharge the sea, and has also put forward many requests for clarification and improvement suggestions.
China and Russia have submitted a joint technical problem sheet to the Japanese side, which has yet to receive feedback from the Japanese side.
Not long ago, the leaders' meeting of the Pacific Islands Forum and the foreign ministers' meeting also expressed serious concerns about related issues.
Regrettably, the Japanese side has always turned a deaf ear to the legitimate concerns and reasonable demands of the international community and the Japanese people. Instead of conducting sufficient and meaningful consultations with stakeholders and relevant international institutions, Japan has insisted on advancing the construction of the sea drainage pipeline. and the approval of the sea discharge plan.
It is extremely irresponsible for Japan to ignore the concerns of all parties and attempt to create established facts. We firmly oppose it.
The disposal of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear issue is related to the global marine environment and the public health of Pacific Rim countries, and is by no means a private matter for the Japanese family.
China once again urges Japan to earnestly fulfill its due international obligations, dispose of nuclear-contaminated water in a scientific, open, transparent and safe manner, stop forcibly pushing the sea discharge plan, and fully consult and reach an agreement with stakeholders and relevant international institutions. Before, it was not allowed to initiate the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water into the sea without authorization.
If Japan insists on putting its own self-interest above the international public interest and insists on taking a dangerous step, it will definitely pay the price for its irresponsible behavior and leave a historical stain.
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