Japan's nuclear-contaminated water release "extremely selfish and irresponsible": official

BEIJING, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- Japan's discharge of the Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean has put its own interests above the well-being of humanity, which is "extremely selfish and irresponsible," a Chinese official said Thursday.

"We urge the Japanese side to heed the voice of the international community, conduct the disposal of the nuclear-contaminated water in a scientific, safe and transparent manner, and accept strict international supervision," the official with the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (National Nuclear Safety Administration) said in a statement in response to a media query.

China will strengthen radiation monitoring in sea areas under its jurisdiction this year to track and evaluate the possible impact of Japan's discharge to safeguard its national interests and people's health, the official said.

Paying high attention to Japan's Fukushima water release, China conducted such radiation monitoring in 2021 and 2022, respectively. The results showed that the activity concentration of artificial radionuclides in seawater and marine organisms was normal and largely remained within the historical fluctuation range.