（March 16th, 2023）

Dear friends from the press,

Good afternoon. Welcome to the briefing. Today I would like to take this opportunity to present the positions of the Chinese government on the Japanese government’s unilateral decision to discharge Fukushima nuclear contaminated water into the ocean.

As we all know, twelve years ago, on March 11, 2011, a nuclear accident of the highest level occurred at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station in Japan. Three reactor cores were melted and damaged, releasing a large amount of radioactive materials. The Fukushima nuclear accident has brought a heavy disaster to the Japanese people. The Chinese government and people have expressed deep sympathy and provided necessary assistance within our best capacity to the Japanese government and people. Regrettably, however, with regard to the disposal of the nuclear contaminated water from the Fukushima accident, Japan has unilaterally decided to discharge the nuclear contaminated water into the ocean, in total disregard of the concerns and interests of the people from China and other  countries of the world. I would like to make the following points.

First, we cannot neglect the harm caused by the discharge of the nuclear contaminated water into the ocean. The seawater brought by the tsunami, the cooling water injected into the reactor cores and the groundwater and rainwater that came into contact with the reactor cores were all contaminated, producing a large amount of nuclear contaminated water. Initial assessment shows that the nuclear contaminated water contains more than 60 radionuclides, including tritium, carbon-14, cobalt-60, strontium-90, iodine-129, etc. The half-life of tritium is about 13 years, and that of carbon-14 is more than 5000 years. There is not yet effective technology to treat many of those radionuclides. Some long-lived radionuclides may spread with the ocean currents and form a bio-concentration effect, which will multiply the total amount of radionuclides in the environment, causing unpredictable harm to the marine environment and human health.  Therefore, it is incumbent on Japan to respond to the concerns of the international community and dispose of the nuclear contaminated water in a responsible manner consistent with international legal obligations, international safety standards and good practices.

Second, the disposal of nuclear contaminated water from Fukushima is by no means Japan’s private matter. Until now, the Fukushima nuclear accident has generated more than 1.3 million tons of contaminated water, with about 100 tons being further produced every day. That contaminated water was stored temporarily in over 1,000 storage tanks, which is expected to be discharged into the ocean over a period of 30 years. According to the research by a German marine research institution, within 57 days of the discharge of the Fukushima nuclear contaminated water, the radioactive materials will spread to most of the Pacific Ocean and, in 10 years, to the waters across the world. Therefore, the discharge of nuclear contaminated water has cross-border impact on the marine environment and public health. Stakeholders such as China, Republic of Korea, Russia, DPRK and other Japanese neighbors and Pacific island countries have repeatedly expressed their grave concern over Japan’s wrong decision. Last month, the Pacific Island Forum (PIF) Secretary General Mr. Henry Puna stressed that Japan’s decision to discharge the nuclear contaminated water into the sea is not a domestic matter of Japan, but a global issue. There are also strong voices of opposition within Japan. However, Japan has failed to conduct full and meaningful consultations with its neighbors and other stakeholders. On 13 April 2021, Japan unilaterally decided to discharge the nuclear contaminated water into the ocean after treatment. It is only logical and legitimate for China and other stakeholders to express our concern over and firm opposition to that decision.

Third, Japan’s decision to discharge the Fukushima nuclear contaminated water into the ocean is driven by selfish interests. The disposal of nuclear contaminated water should be decided upon with the greatest prudence, and there is no precedent  in discharging nuclear contaminated water caused by nuclear accident into the ocean. We know that Japan initially proposed five ways to dispose of nuclear contaminated water, including injection into the ground, discharge into the ocean, vapor release, release as hydrogen gas into the atmosphere and underground burial. However, we believe that Japan did not conduct thorough study of the other disposal options except for ocean discharge. Instead, Japan uses limited space as an excuse to stop building new storage tanks and decide to discharge the nuclear contaminated water into the ocean, transferring the risks to all mankind and other countries.

Fourth, Japan has not seriously responded to international concerns and addressed them accordingly. There are a lot of questions left unanswered. For example, is ocean discharge the best option? If the treated nuclear contaminated water indeed meets the relevant discharge standards, as claimed by the Japanese government, then why not discharge it domestically? According to media reports, the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) has a track record of data tampering, is the data it released on nuclear contaminated water still trustworthy? How can it prove the effectiveness and long-term reliability of the nuclear contaminated water purification devices? Is Japan’s environmental impact assessment report comprehensive and scientific, and can it ensure that there will be no negative impact on the environment? Japan has yet to provide sufficient scientific and convincing explanations on the above questions. China has expressed concerns to Japan, based on the spirit of science and out of the sense of responsibility for the health of our own people, the global marine environment and international public interest. In May 2022, China and Russia submitted to Japan a Joint List of Technical Questions on the Disposal of the Japanese Fukushima Nuclear Contaminated Water, and distributed it at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). In November last year, China and Russia distributed the Feedback on Japan’s Response to the Joint List of Technical Questions (the second question list) at the IAEA, but Japan has not yet responded. In February this year, the Pacific Island Forum (PIF) stated that, according to the independent assessment of the PIF Panel of Experts, there is insufficient data to classify the impending discharge by Japan as safe for Pacific people and the ocean’s biodiversity, and Japan only provided limited data and information despite the PIF’s repeated requests. All these facts show that it is time for Japan to face up to the concerns of the international community and provide responsible clarifications.

Fifth, Japan actually didn’t show due respect to the authority of the relevant international organization, namely the IAEA. Japan claimed that its discharge plan was endorsed by the IAEA. This is not true. In fact, the IAEA Task Force has not yet finished its review and assessment. There is no final conclusion yet. On the contrary, the IAEA Task Force found that the plan was inconsistent with the IAEA safety standards in many areas. In spite of that, Japan insisted on pushing through the discharge plan in July last year and stepped up construction of the discharge pipelines. Just before the visit by IAEA Task Force to Japan on January 16 this year, Japan announced that it would start discharging the nuclear contaminated water around spring or summer this year. This is not an action that a responsible country is supposed to take. This is in violation of Japan’s legal obligations under the international law.

Friends from the press,

To conclude my introduction, the Pacific Ocean is not Japan’s sewer for discharging its nuclear contaminated water. Japan should take an objective and science-based approach, and dispose of the nuclear contaminated water in a way that is safe and consistent with the international law, the international safety standards and good practices. That includes a thorough examination of alternative disposal options other than ocean discharge. There should be no discharge until all stakeholders and relevant international organizations confirm that such a discharge is safe and secure. China again urges Japan to take seriously the legitimate concerns of the international community, earnestly fulfill its international obligations, conduct full consultation with its neighbors, stakeholders and the relevant international institutions, dispose of the nuclear contaminated water in a science-based, open, transparent and safe manner, place itself under strict international monitoring and take credible steps to protect the marine environment and the health rights and interests of all peoples.