China urges Japan to safely dispose of nuclear-contaminated water

BEIJING, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Friday once again urged Japan to respond to the legitimate concerns of all relevant parties and dispose of nuclear-contaminated water in a scientific, open, transparent, and safe way.

According to reports, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced Wednesday that its technical task force would visit Japan from Nov. 14 to 18 to continue a comprehensive safety review of Japan's plan to pipe nuclear-contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station into the Pacific Ocean.

In response to a related query, spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at a daily press briefing that China supports the work of the IAEA and its technical task force. He said China hopes that the task force will adhere to the principles of objectivity, fairness, and science, strictly implement the IAEA's nuclear safety standards, and ensure the absolute safety of the disposal of contaminated water.

"Japan should fully cooperate with the review by the IAEA's technical task force," said Zhao.

While the IAEA's working group has not completed the assessment and review, and the international community's concerns have not been effectively resolved, the Japanese side has nevertheless approved the discharge plan and accelerated the construction of the discharge pipeline, intending to create a fait accompli.

"This undermines the authority of institutions and technical working groups and is highly irresponsible to the international community and the Japanese people," Zhao said.

China once again urges the Japanese side to face up to the legitimate concerns of all parties, fully consult with stakeholders including its neighbors and relevant international institutions, and dispose of the nuclear-contaminated water in a scientific, open, transparent, and safe manner to protect the marine environment and safeguard the health and food safety of people of all countries, the spokesperson said.