China on Wednesday urged Japan to promptly clarify the situation regarding a water leak containing radioactive substances at the Fugen nuclear power plant during decommissioning work.

"Japan should take measures to properly handle the decommissioning of nuclear power plants and the disposal of radioactive waste," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a regular press briefing, when asked to comment on a recent water leakage at Fugen plant.

On December 23, the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) reported that roughly 20 milliliters of water containing radioactive tritium has leaked during a reactor decommissioning at Fugen nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture, central Japan. Three nearby workers present during the incident were not affected by "internal exposure" through inhalation or "external exposure" from contact with splashed water, according to Japanese media.

Lin stated that this incident has once again exposed serious loopholes in the operation, maintenance and nuclear safety supervision of Japan's nuclear facilities.

The falsification of quality inspections for radiation detectors at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, and a cooling water leakage from the spent fuel pool at the Rokkasho reprocessing plant in Aomori Prefecture have all sparked wide-spread concerns, said Lin.

Despite ongoing issues – including aging facilities, chaotic management and oversight loopholes – Japan has decided to restart the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant. The plant, which spilled 1.5 liters of cooling water from spent fuel rods in 2007, has already triggered opposition and protests from the Japanese public, Lin said.

He called on Japan to fully draw lessons from the Fukushima nuclear accident, earnestly fulfill its nuclear safety responsibilities and submit to international supervision to alleviate global concerns.

(With inputs from Xinhua)