China says Japan's claim of 'safe' nuclear wastewater not persuasive

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that Japan's claim of treated radioactive water in Fukushima Prefecture being 'safe' is not persuasive, and certain politicians who are trying to prove it should use the water themselves.

At Thursday's regular press briefing, spokesperson Zhao Lijian said that by saying the wastewater is safe, Japan was only referring to the data collected by itself, lacking evaluation and supervision by a third party including international agencies.

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said on Tuesday that his government has decided to discharge contaminated radioactive wastewater in Fukushima Prefecture into the sea after convening a meeting of relevant ministers, which immediately received domestic and international backlash.

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If certain Japanese politicians are trying hard to prove that the nuclear wastewater is safe, then they should use the wastewater to drink, cook, clean and irrigate, Zhao said. They have to guarantee that the seafood won't be contaminated, and they have to take advice from the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Zhao added that Japan shouldn't be assured just because the decision was recognized from the U.S. He said that what the U.S. said is not in line with the actual actions it has taken. The spokesperson pointed out that the U.S. has restricted the import of Japanese food including rice and fish.

(Cover: Huge tanks that store contaminated radioactive wastewater in Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, October 12, 2017. /Xinhua)