TOKYO: A spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Japan said media reports that China has refused to join the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) international monitoring mechanism over the release of nuclear-contaminated wastewater from Fukushima into the sea are false.
Japan commissioned the IAEA secretariat to conduct an analysis and laboratory comparison of nuclear-contaminated sewage samples collected by Japan itself, but China was not invited to participate, the spokesman said.
Since all the data on nuclear-contaminated sewage has so far been collected, tested and released by Japan itself, the spokesman said the data could not be trusted by the international community because Japan – the monitored party – acted as a monitor.
Such laboratory benchmarking activities based on samples provided by Japan cannot adequately demonstrate the authenticity and reliability of Japanese test results and cannot be compared with a long-term and effective international monitoring mechanism that involves substantial stakeholder participation, the spokesman added.
China does not reject dialogue
Stressing that China does not reject dialogue and has clearly proposed the establishment of a long-term, effective international monitoring mechanism, the spokesman said Japan should first demonstrate sincerity in addressing the legitimate concerns of its neighboring countries instead of imposing its own monitoring results on others.
