On the morning of August 22, the Japanese government held a cabinet meeting and decided to start discharging Fukushima nuclear contaminated water on August 24.

 

On the 21st, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stated that there has been progress in gaining the understanding of fishermen , and the schedule for discharging treated water from the Fukushima nuclear accident has entered the final adjustment phase.

 

The problem of handling Japan's nuclear contaminated water has plagued Japanese society for more than 10 years.

 

On March 11, 2011, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck the northeastern waters of Japan, triggering a massive tsunami. Affected by both the earthquake and tsunami, a large amount of radioactive material leaked from the Fukushima nuclear power plant.

 

The nuclear contaminated water that is about to be discharged now is the cooling water that was continuously injected into the reactor after the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident, to prevent core meltdown. In addition, rainwater and groundwater continuously flowed in automatically.

 

 

Ministry of Foreign Affairs: If the nuclear contaminated water is safe, there is no need to discharge it into the sea

 

Today (22nd), Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin reiterated China's solemn position at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' regular press conference, strongly urging Japan to correct its wrong decision and withdraw its plan to discharge nuclear contaminated water into the sea.

 

Wang Wenbin pointed out that for more than two years, the legitimacy, legality, and safety of the plan to discharge Fukushima nuclear contaminated water into the sea have been questioned by the international community.

 

Japan has not yet addressed the international community's concerns regarding the long-term reliability of the nuclear contaminated water purification device, 、 the authenticity and accuracy of the nuclear contaminated water data, and the effectiveness of the plan for monitoring the discharge into the sea .

 

Interested parties, including China, have repeatedly pointed out that, if the nuclear contaminated water is safe, there is no need to discharge it into the sea, ， and if it is not safe, it should not be discharged into the sea even more . Japan's forceful promotion of the discharge of nuclear contaminated water into the sea is unjust, unreasonable, and unnecessary.

 

Regrettably, Japan has turned a deaf ear to international calls, deliberately creating the illusion that the discharge is safe and harmless, and even unreasonably criticizing neighboring countries that have expressed legitimate concerns. Its actions have aroused strong indignation among neighboring countries and its own people.

 

Wang Wenbin stated that the ocean is the common property of all mankind and cannot be allowed to be used by Japan to dump nuclear contaminated water. China will take all necessary measures to protect the marine environment, food safety, and public health.

 

US Secretary of State: Feels satisfied

 

Regarding Japan's handling of the nuclear contaminated water issue, many people from various countries have responded.

 

On August 22, Japanese citizens spontaneously braved the rain in front of the Japanese Prime Minister's official residence in Tokyo to hold a protest rally, expressing their strong dissatisfaction with the plan to discharge nuclear contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.

 

The Japan Fisheries Association Federation Chairman Masanobu Sakamoto issued a statement strongly urging the Japanese government to faithfully fulfill its commitment to "the state assuming full responsibility".

 

Haruhiko Terazawa, president of the Miyagi Prefectural Fisheries Cooperative Association, also expressed his dissatisfaction on the same day, saying that he still cannot understand the practice of discharging nuclear contaminated water into the sea. Currently, the prices of abalone and scallops have fallen, and the actual damage from the discharge of nuclear contaminated water has already appeared.

 

On the afternoon of August 22, South Korea's largest opposition party, the Democratic Party of Korea, held an emergency meeting of parliamentarians to condemn the Japanese government's discharge of nuclear contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the sea, and urged Japan to immediately withdraw its decision to discharge the water , and to develop a safe plan for handling nuclear contaminated water from the nuclear power plant.

 

On the afternoon of August 22, Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, condemned Japan's discharge of nuclear contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the ocean.

 

Previously, the South Korean government released a report stating that if the Tokyo Electric Power Company complies with the disposal regulations and discharges nuclear contaminated water, the concentration of radioactive substances will meet the discharge standards and target values, and also meet international standards . On August 12, several environmental groups and citizens in South Korea held rallies

 

calling on the South Korean government to actively develop countermeasures and oppose Japan's discharge of Fukushima nuclear contaminated water into the sea. The Asahi Shimbun reported on August 16 that the South Korean government and the ruling party told Japan that if the discharge of nuclear contaminated water cannot be avoided, they hope it can be implemented as soon as possible to reduce the negative impact on next spring's parliamentary elections. After the Japanese media reported this, it was questioned and criticized by South Korea's opposition parties, and the South Korean government refuted it for two consecutive days.

 

The South Korean government stated on August 18 that the government had never made such a request. On August 15, at the US State Department press briefing in Washington, D.C. We are satisfied with this. ”

 

Mao Ning, spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, previously pointed out at the Ministry's regular press conference that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) conducted the relevant assessment and review at the invitation of the Japanese side, and the scope of authorization was limited to the assessment of the ocean discharge plan. The report is not a "green light" for Japan's ocean discharge , and it cannot prove that ocean discharge is the only safest and most reliable option for disposing of nuclear contaminated water.

 

Is imported seafood still safe to eat?

Recently, South Korean consumers have been buying up large quantities of salt and seafood due to concerns about nuclear-contaminated water polluting seafood products. Retailers are also hoarding goods due to concerns about supply shortages, leading to a rise in the price of seafood in South Korea.

 

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Toxic Substances and Human Rights Marcos Orellana once stated that Japan said that the nuclear contaminated water would be treated, and the radiation would be controlled within acceptable international standards, but the treatment process, that is, "Advanced Liquid Processing System" has technical limitations, so it cannot guarantee that everything will be successful.

 

German Marine Science Research Institution Once pointed out that the Fukushima coast has the strongest ocean currents in the world, from the date of discharge Within 57 days, radioactive substances will spread to most of the Pacific Ocean , and in 3 years, the waters of the United States and Canada will be affected by nuclear pollution, and in 10 years, it will spread to the global ocean, affecting global fish migration, offshore fisheries, human health, ecological security, etc. The potential threats to human society and the health of the marine ecological environment are immeasurable.

 

Once nuclear contaminated water is formally discharged into the sea on a large scale, Is imported seafood still safe to eat?

 

China's General Administration of Customs previously clearly stated that in order to prevent radioactive contaminated Japanese food from being imported into China, Chinese customs prohibits the import of food from Fukushima and nine other prefectures (cities) in Japan , and strictly reviews the accompanying documents for food from other regions of Japan, especially aquatic products (including edible aquatic animals) , strengthens supervision, strictly implements 100% inspection, continuously strengthens the detection and monitoring of radioactive substances, and strictly prevents the import of risky products. Customs also stated that it will take all necessary measures in a timely manner depending on the development of the situation to ensure the safety of consumers' tables. At the same time,

 

From August 24, Hong Kong and Macao prohibited the import of food from 10 prefectures and cities in Japan. Macao

 

The Special Administrative Region government stated that prohibits the import of fresh food, animal-derived food, sea salt and seaweed from Fukushima Prefecture, Chiba Prefecture, Tochigi Prefecture, Ibaraki Prefecture, Gunma Prefecture, Miyagi Prefecture, Niigata Prefecture, Nagano Prefecture, Saitama Prefecture and Tokyo, a total of 10 prefectures and cities, including vegetables, fruits, milk and dairy products, aquatic products and aquatic product products, meat and meat products, poultry eggs, etc. At the same time, the Municipal Affairs Bureau of Macao will also strengthen inspections of retail stores in the market, mainly targeting those imported from Japan

 

other places that do not require quarantine inspection of non-staple food , such as pre-packaged foods such as rice, seaweed, tea, and snacks, using a handheld radiation meter for detection, and collecting food samples for radionuclide testing. Hong Kong

Xie Zhanhuan, Secretary for the Environment and Ecology of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, stated that the SAR government decided to start from August 24, prohibit the import of aquatic products from Tokyo, Fukushima, Chiba, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Gunma, Miyagi, Niigata, Nagano and Saitama, 10 prefectures and cities, including all live, frozen, chilled, dried or otherwise preserved aquatic products, sea salt, and unprocessed or processed seaweed. 10个都、县的水产品进口，包括所有活生、冷冻、冷藏、干制或以其他方式保存的水产品、海盐，以及未经加工或经加工的海藻。