China: "IAEA Contaminated Water Report is Premature... Discharge Plan Must Be Halted"

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has released a report stating that Japan's plan to discharge contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean complies with international safety standards, but China has expressed strong opposition.

On the 4th, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted a statement on its website expressing "regret over the IAEA's hasty report release," and urged once again that "Japan halt its plan to discharge nuclear power plant contaminated water into the sea and handle the matter scientifically, safely, and transparently."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs pointed out that "(the IAEA's) report did not fully reflect the opinions of all experts involved in the evaluation process, and the related conclusions were not unanimously approved by all experts," adding, "We believe the report cannot serve as a permit or passport for Japan to discharge (contaminated water) into the ocean."

Furthermore, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated that "due to the IAEA's limited authority, it was unable to review the legitimacy and legality of Japan's plan to discharge contaminated water into the ocean, failed to assess the long-term effectiveness of Japan's purification equipment, and could not definitively verify the truthfulness and accuracy of Japan's contaminated water-related data."

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs also stated, "Twelve years ago, Japan received global support following the Fukushima accident, but twelve years later, Japan has chosen to shift the risks of nuclear contamination onto all humanity," asserting that "Japan's behavior violates moral responsibilities in the international community and obligations under international law."

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged again that "China calls on Japan to halt its plan to discharge nuclear contaminated water into the ocean and to effectively handle it in a scientific, safe, and transparent manner," warning that "if Japan acts unilaterally, it must bear all consequences."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.