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China 'seriously concerned' with Japan's wastewater release: envoy
CGTN
Chinese Ambassador for Disarmament Affairs Li Song (L) speaks at a committee meeting of the 10th Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) at the UN headquarters in New York, August 5, 2022. /Xinhua

Chinese Ambassador for Disarmament Affairs Li Song (L) speaks at a committee meeting of the 10th Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) at the UN headquarters in New York, August 5, 2022. /Xinhua

Japan's plan to release the Fukushima wastewater into the Pacific Ocean will cause "non negligible" consequences potentially affecting the marine ecological environment, food safety and human health, a Chinese envoy said on Monday.

The Japanese government's unilateral decision is purely from economic cost consideration, without exhausting all means of safe disposal and without full consultation with neighboring countries and international agencies, Chinese Ambassador for Disarmament Affairs Li Song said at the 10th Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

Li said Japan's selfish behavior was neither responsible nor moral, which not only bred discontent among the Japanese people but raised serious concerns by China, the Republic of Korea, Russia and other Pacific island countries.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has not yet reached a final assessment on Japan's disposal plan, but rather raised many suggestions for improvement, Li said. "However, it's regrettable that Japan decided to push forward with its plan despite these voices."

Tokyo needs to consider alternative options and embrace strict monitoring by the IAEA, Li said, adding that, "This would become the touchstone on whether Japan will effectively fulfill its international obligations."

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