The storage tanks used for storing treated water at TEPCO's crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Okuma, Fukushima prefecture, Japan, August 24, 2023. /CFP
The Chinese environment minister has urged Japan to faithfully fulfill its international obligations, engage in thorough consultations with other stakeholders, and dispose of the nuclear-contaminated water in a scientific and responsible way.
Noting that the disposal of nuclear-contaminated water concerns the global marine ecosystem and public health, Minister of Ecology and Environment Huang Runqiu made the remarks during the opening ceremony for the 24th Tripartite Environment Ministers Meeting among China, Japan and the South Korea.
Respective delegations led by Huang, Japanese Minister of the Environment Shintaro Ito, and South Korean Minister of Environment Han Jeoung-ae participated in the meeting, where they shared their respective national environmental policies and recent developments, and exchanged views on regional and global environmental issues of mutual concern.
Huang further noted at a press conference following the meeting, held in the Japanese city of Nagoya from last Friday to Saturday, that Japan should promptly establish a long-term international monitoring mechanism that includes relevant neighboring countries to effectively safeguard the global marine ecosystem.
A protest to urge the South Korean government to ban the import of Japanese aquatic products, Seoul, South Korea, November 2, 2023. /CFP
Joint efforts
Huang said China, Japan and South Korea, as important cooperation partners, share geographical proximity and cultural affinity.
China is willing to continue strengthening cooperation with the other two countries in practicing genuine multilateralism and jointly promoting the success of significant environmental multilateral processes, including the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the United Nations (UN) Framework Convention on Climate Change, the global plastics treaty, and the UN Environment Assembly, said Huang.
Efforts will be made to share the experiences of trilateral environmental cooperation with more partners to make new and greater contributions to regional and global sustainable development, he added.
People gather to protest the Japanese government's irresponsible decision to start releasing nuclear-contaminated wastewater in front of the Japanese prime minister's official residence in Tokyo, Japan, August 22, 2023. /Xinhua
The implementation of the Tripartite Joint Action Plan on Environment Cooperation 2021-2025 was reviewed at the meeting, and the joint communique of the 24th Tripartite Environment Ministers Meeting was jointly signed.
The Tripartite Environment Ministers Meeting among China, Japan and South Korea has been held annually since 1999 to address common environmental issues for the region and promote sustainable growth.
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(With input from Xinhua)