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On August 24, 2023, despite opposition from the domestic and international communities, the Japanese government officially started the discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the sea on the northeastern Pacific coast. A year later, more than 60,000 tons of contaminated water have been discharged into the ocean.

Nuclear waste water storage tanks at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (Source: Xinhua News Agency)

According to reports, Japan has completed seven nuclear contaminated water discharges in the past year, and the eighth round of discharge is currently underway and is expected to end on August 25. This means that in just one year, about 63,000 tons of nuclear contaminated water has flowed into the Pacific Ocean.

According to TEPCO's plan, they intend to discharge a total of 54,600 tons of nuclear contaminated water in seven batches in 2024. This figure is about 1.7 times the discharge volume in 2023. By the end of 2024, the total amount of nuclear contaminated water flowing into the Pacific Ocean will reach about 80,000 tons.

According to previous reports, data showed that before the official discharge began, the stockpile of nuclear contaminated water at the Fukushima nuclear power plant had reached 1.3 million tons, and it would take at least 30 years to completely treat it.

Japanese people took to the streets to protest (Source: CCTV News)

According to CCTV News, on August 21, local time, several Japanese civil groups submitted a joint application signed by more than 200,000 people to the Japanese government, demanding an immediate halt to the discharge of nuclear contaminated water into the sea. On the 23rd, people from many parts of Japan held a protest rally at the Fukushima Citizens' Hall to oppose the discharge of nuclear contaminated water into the sea.

One protester said: "How can we accept that it is safe just because the harmful substances are diluted? After all, the discharge is harmful substances. So we think it is worrying to discharge nuclear contaminated water into the sea. The ocean cannot be polluted. This not only endangers the residents of Fukushima, but also endangers the entire Japanese people."

Another protester said: "I also have children. I came here to protest because I am worried about the next generation like my children. What should we do if this problem is not solved? I think it is important to make a voice in various places and keep telling people that we must never do such a thing (discharging nuclear contaminated water into the sea)."

On August 23, 2024, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning hosted a regular press conference. (Photo source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs official website)

At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' regular press conference on August 23, 2024, a reporter asked, "Tomorrow marks one year since Japan started discharging the treated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea. Japan continues to call for the immediate lifting of the import ban on Japanese seafood. What specific progress has been made in the discussions between the Japanese and Chinese governments on this issue?"

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said that Japan has unilaterally started the discharge of contaminated water from Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea without fully consulting with neighboring countries, shifting the risk to the whole world. This practice violates its own commitments, is extremely irresponsible, and is not in line with international law and the way of getting along with neighboring countries. China has always firmly opposed this and has repeatedly expressed its serious concerns to Japan. It is completely legitimate, reasonable and necessary for all countries, including China, to take corresponding preventive and response measures to safeguard food safety and people's health.

Mao Ning said that China and Japan are maintaining consultations on the issue of the discharge of Fukushima nuclear contaminated water into the sea. I would like to emphasize that the more transparent and open the Japanese side is on the issue of discharge into the sea, the more it will help ease the concerns of the international community. China once again urges Japan to seriously respond to domestic and international concerns, earnestly fulfill its responsibilities and obligations, and fully cooperate in establishing an independent and effective long-term international monitoring arrangement with substantial participation of neighboring countries and other stakeholders.

Jimu News integrates CCTV news, China News Service, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs official website

(Source: Jimu News)

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