MADRD, September 20 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The governments of China and Japan have moved closer together on Friday to address China’s concerns over water spills from the Fukushima nuclear power plant, with Beijing now seemingly willing to “gradually” resume importing Japanese fish.
Japan began releasing water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant just over a year ago, after treating it to prevent damage to the environment. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has confirmed in successive reports that there is no risk, but countries in the region initially expressed their doubts.
China was one of them, but successive rounds of consultations have now allowed a minimum consensus to be reached. According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, other actors outside the IAEA will be able to take water samples and carry out their own analyses for the sake of peace of mind.
The Japanese government had criticised the bans on fish and Beijing is now willing to “adjust” some of the measures. It has not set a date for the resumption of imports, although it has suggested that it will lift the ban once it has been able to become involved in the entire process of monitoring the waters to rule out possible contamination first-hand.
The Fukushima nuclear power plant suffered a serious accident in 2011, following an earthquake and subsequent tsunami. The company responsible had demanded the release of the previously treated water, arguing that continuing to store it in large tanks at the plant posed a much greater risk in the event of a new natural disaster.
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