Japan and China hold expert dialogue on Fukushima water release
Published on: Sunday, March 31, 2024
By: Bernama
Filepic by Reuters
TOKYO: Japan and China engaged in an "expert dialogue" on Saturday concerning the release of treated radioactive wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, marking their latest collaborative effort to tackle the ongoing dispute surrounding the issue.
The discussion took place in Dalian, northeastern China, where the Japanese delegation presented their perspective on the safety of the water release and provided detailed updates on ongoing radiation monitoring activities, Kyodo News Agency quoted the Japanese Foreign Ministry on Sunday.
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In response to the series of discharges that commenced in August last year, China has maintained an import ban on all seafood products from Japan.
This marked the first publicly acknowledged expert dialogue between Japan and China specifically addressing the water release issue, despite ongoing communications between the two nations on various levels, the ministry added in the statement.
Representatives from Japan included officials from the Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the Nuclear Regulation Authority, and the Fukushima Daiichi plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. China's delegation consisted of experts from research organisations.
During the dialogue, participants exchanged viewpoints on technical matters pertaining to the treated water.
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In November, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to seek resolutions to the issue "through consultations and dialogue in a constructive manner."
Kishida reiterated after the summit that expert discussions would be grounded in scientific principles.
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Earlier this month, senior officials from both countries held discussions in Guangzhou, southern China, addressing the water release and other pending issues, reaffirming their commitment to maintaining close communication.
Japan has conducted four rounds of treated water discharge into the Pacific Ocean from the Fukushima plant, with the most recent discharge ending in mid-March.
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