China said on Thursday that it strongly disapproves of Japan’s second round of ocean discharge of nuclear-contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear plant.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said China’s position on the discharge is consistent and clear. “We firmly oppose this unilateral move by Japan.”
“I reiterate that the ocean belongs to all humanity. The Japanese government needs to respond to all the concerns of the international community, have full, sincere communication with neighboring countries, and dispose of the nuclear-contaminated water in a responsible way,” said the spokesperson,
He added that the international community needs to push for an international monitoring arrangement that will stay effective for the long haul and ensure that Japan’s neighboring countries and other stakeholders can participate substantively in the arrangement.
Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) on Thursday announced that it has begun the second round of ocean discharge of the Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water and plans to release 7,800 tons of such water over 17 days.
Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (Tepco) started the process at around 10:20 a.m.
“We would like to continue approaching this with the utmost caution,” Kenichi Takahara, a spokesperson for Tepco, said on Friday. “It is crucial to maintain a strong determination to safely proceed … while making every effort to avoid causing dissatisfaction.”
