Seawater samples collected off the coast of Fukushima arrive in China: spokesperson

BEIJING, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- Seawater samples collected independently by Chinese experts off the coast of Fukushima, Japan, have recently arrived in China, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday.

Spokesperson Lin Jian told a daily press briefing in response to a relevant query that according to the bilateral consensus, Japan agreed to carry out long-term international monitoring of the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water from the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean under the framework of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and ensure independent sampling and monitoring by China and other stakeholders.

"In mid-October, the IAEA organized experts from many countries including China to collect seawater samples and seal them on site near the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant independently," Lin said.

The spokesperson added that relevant samples have arrived in China recently. Domestic professional research institutions are conducting rigorous and independent testing and analysis, and will release the progress in time, Lin added.