Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning urged the Japanese government to respond seriously to international concerns and to dispose, responsibly, of the liquid contaminated by nuclear radiation from Fukushima.

The spokeswoman reiterated that the Asian nation’s plan to release this water into the ocean “affects the health of all humanity, the global marine environment, and international public interests.”

“The precautionary measures taken by China and some other countries in response to Japan’s action are aimed at protecting food safety” and are “fully legitimate, reasonable and necessary,” she added.

For Beijing, which has always questioned the feasibility of the Japanese plan, an international independent monitoring agreement should involve neighboring countries and stakeholders, “to avoid irrevocable consequences of the oceanic discharge”.

This week marks six months since China’s decision to stop all imports of aquatic products from Japan.

The IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) gave the go-ahead to Tokyo’s proposal to dispose of the waste liquid, indicating that it meets international standards and poses no health risk.

In response, the China Nuclear Safety Administration regretted the decision and noted that there are problems with the legitimacy of the dumping at sea, the reliability of the Japanese purification system, and its monitoring plan.

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