On Friday, Japan and China announced that they had reached an agreement to resolve their disputes over Japan’s discharge of treated radioactive wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean and China’s subsequent ban on Japanese seafood imports.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stated that both countries had achieved “a certain level of mutual understanding.”
China will now begin taking steps toward lifting the seafood import ban and will participate in expanded monitoring of the wastewater discharges under the supervision of the United Nations’ atomic agency.
Japan began releasing treated radioactive wastewater from the Fukushima plant on August 24, 2023. The plant had suffered a nuclear meltdown in 2011 after a devastating tsunami.
In response to the release, China imposed a ban on Japanese seafood imports, citing concerns that the discharge could harm coastal communities and the fishing industry in eastern China. The ban has significantly affected Japanese seafood exporters.
Kishida expressed optimism, saying, “Naturally, our understanding is that China will steadily resume the imports of Japanese marine products” that comply with Chinese safety standards, similar to those applied to products from other countries.
While Japanese officials hailed the agreement as a breakthrough, there was no immediate clarification on when the monitoring visit would occur or when the seafood ban would be lifted.
Kishida reiterated that the safety of Japan’s wastewater discharges had been verified and that Japan would continue to press China for an immediate end to the import ban.
Fish Market in Japan (Photo: eyf)
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning emphasized that the issue of handling Fukushima’s nuclear-contaminated water is both a political and scientific matter.
“The bilateral consensus of China and Japan lays a foundation for the international community to handle the nuclear-contaminated water scientifically, effectively, and safely,” she said, calling it an important joint achievement among stakeholder nations.
Japan has consistently maintained that the release meets international safety standards and is monitored by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). All water monitoring data has been made public, and Japan has criticized China’s seafood ban as unscientific, demanding its swift removal.
Prior to the announcement, Kishida held a phone conversation with IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi.
They confirmed plans to expand the current multinational monitoring system to include Chinese scientists, allowing them to participate in monitoring and sampling the treated water before and after its release within the IAEA framework.
Grossi assured Kishida that the discharge was in compliance with IAEA safety standards and pledged continued cooperation to implement the additional monitoring as soon as possible, according to Japan’s Foreign Ministry.
The Fukushima plant’s cooling system was severely damaged by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, leading to reactor meltdowns and the accumulation of large amounts of radioactive water. Tokyo Electric Power Holdings Co. (TEPCO), the plant’s operator, has been working to decommission the facility.
The Japanese government and TEPCO assert that the discharge of water stored in hundreds of tanks is essential for safety and to free up space for further decommissioning efforts.
