China Reacts Strongly to Japan's Intention to Discharge Treated Fukushima Water into the Ocean

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 CHINA: 

Japan's impending decision to release treated water from the Fukushima disaster site has triggered a fierce response from China.

This move comes over a decade after Japan experienced the second-worst nuclear catastrophe in history.

The Japanese government asserts that the treated water release is safe, receiving support from the United Nations' nuclear watchdog, which deems it consistent with international norms and minimally harmful to both people and the environment.

However, neighboring countries, primarily China, vehemently oppose this action.

Japan is set to commence the discharge of a substantial volume of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear facility into the Pacific Ocean. This decision has ignited intense controversy, drawing sharp condemnation from neighboring nations.

The imminent release of water arrives more than ten years after Japan grappled with its devastating nuclear disaster. A massive earthquake and tsunami in March 2011 ravaged the Fukushima nuclear plant, situated about 155 miles northeast of Tokyo on the country's eastern coast.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida disclosed earlier this week that Japan plans to empty around 1.3 million metric tons of treated wastewater—equivalent to the volume of roughly 500 Olympic-sized swimming pools—from the dilapidated Fukushima plant into the sea, tentatively starting on Thursday, depending on weather conditions.

Japan's government has continually reiterated the safety of this wastewater discharge. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a UN body, has endorsed this course of action. In early July, the IAEA declared Tokyo's intentions align with global standards and will impose a negligible impact on both the populace and the environment. This process will take several decades to reach completion.

Nevertheless, neighboring countries are far from satisfied.

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Local fishing collectives and UN human rights experts have raised concerns about potential marine ecosystem threats and public health consequences. Critics argue that not all potential consequences have been sufficiently studied.

According to Japan, the filtered and diluted water release is an essential step in the plant's decommissioning. The urgency stems from the imminent capacity limit of storage tanks containing treated water.

China emerges as a prominent antagonist to Japan's scheme within the region.

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"Highly Selfish and Irresponsible"

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin rebuked Tokyo on Tuesday, branding the decision "highly selfish and irresponsible." Wang asserted that the world's oceans should be regarded as a shared global asset for humanity, not a repository for Japan's nuclear-contaminated water.

Wang stated in a press briefing, "China firmly demands that Japan cease its wrongful acts, abandon its ocean discharge plan, engage in sincere and goodwill communication with neighboring countries, manage nuclear-contaminated water responsibly, and accept rigorous international oversight."

Japan's Embassy in London did not respond to our request for comment.

Meanwhile, Chief Executive John Lee of Hong Kong unequivocally opposes the release of Fukushima power plant wastewater. In response to Japan's announcement, Hong Kong imposed import restrictions on select Japanese food products.

South Korea, occasionally a lone advocate for Japan in the region, acknowledges no scientific impediment to the treated water's release. Nonetheless, the government expressed nonalignment with or endorsement of the plan in a statement issued on Tuesday.

Earlier this month, hundreds of activists in South Korea congregated in Seoul to protest Japan's proposed wastewater disposal into the ocean.

Both China and South Korea have imposed bans on fish imports from the Fukushima vicinity.

"An Insignificant Concern"

Nigel Marks, an associate professor at Curtin University in Perth, Australia, emphasizes that the Fukushima water quandary boils down to tritium—a naturally occurring radioactive hydrogen isotope that nuclear power plants release during routine operation.

Marks conveyed via email, "Tritium releases much higher than those planned at Fukushima have been transpiring safely for approximately sixty years." He suggests that the controversy around Fukushima's tritium emissions stems from the perception rather than actual radiation safety. He elucidated, "Most individuals are unaware of their own bodies' radioactivity, lack a context for gauging substantial versus minimal radiation, and possess no grasp of relative proportions."

Marks maintained, "At this juncture, scientific input is vital. After all, tritium is generated in the upper atmosphere daily. To illustrate, one year's worth of Fukushima water contains the same tritium volume as four hours of Earth's rainfall."

"This underscores why the Fukushima water matter is essentially a non-issue. Minimal tritium is already present in our surroundings, benignly inactive. A slight additional increment won't make a difference."

Fishing groups in Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines all voiced concerns over the treated wastewater discharge, fearing potential implications for regional resources and the livelihoods of coastal communities.

Environmental advocacy organization Greenpeace's analysts expressed "deep disappointment and outrage" over Japan's choice to introduce treated radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean.

Shaun Burnie, a senior nuclear specialist at Greenpeace East Asia, lamented, "Instead of fostering an honest dialogue regarding this reality, the Japanese government has opted for a misguided solution: decades of deliberate radioactive contamination of marine environments. This decision is made amidst significant stress and pressure on the world's oceans."

Burnie emphasized that this decision violates the human rights of Fukushima's inhabitants and neighboring regions in the Asia-Pacific area.