The Japanese government insisted on releasing the nuclear-contaminated water stored at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the sea as early as August. On the evening of July 5, protesters rallied in front of the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) headquarters to protest against it.

The much-anticipated International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report on the discharge of the Fukushima radioactive wastewater was published on July 4, giving the Japanese government the go-ahead to release the water into the Pacific Ocean as planned.

Experts from the China Atomic Energy Authority told the media that they regretted the IAEA's hasty release of the integrated assessment report without adequate consultation with technical working group experts.