Tokyo (Agencies): China and Japan have reached a significant four-point agreement regarding the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water from Fukushima. This agreement includes the establishment of a long-term international monitoring arrangement, allowing stakeholders, including China, to conduct independent sampling and monitoring.
Despite this agreement, China maintains its firm opposition to the discharge of nuclear-contaminated wastewater. The arrangement ensures that China can independently monitor and sample the water, providing timely access to accurate data and enabling swift action if safety standards are not met.
Japan has committed to fulfilling its international obligations, minimizing negative impacts on human health and the environment, and continuously evaluating the effects on marine ecosystems. The agreement also includes the establishment of a long-term international monitoring arrangement within the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) framework, ensuring that China and other stakeholders can conduct independent sampling and monitoring.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi have agreed to involve third parties, including China, in the monitoring process. This agreement follows extensive negotiations between China, Japan, and relevant international organizations, aiming to ensure that Japan adheres to its commitments and that the international community closely monitors the discharge process.
The involvement of China in independent sampling and monitoring is seen as a significant breakthrough, enhancing the reliability of data and oversight of Japan’s actions.