Press Releases
Shared Recognition between Japan and China
September 20, 2024
Regarding the discharge of ALPS treated water from TEPCO’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station into the sea, the relevant authorities of Japan and China have continued communication on a number of occasions, based on the common recognition between the two leaders that Japan and China will seek to find ways to resolve issues through consultations and dialogue in a constructive manner, and reached the following shared recognition.
- The Japanese side stated that it would carry out the discharge of ALPS treated water into the sea in a manner consistent with the IAEA safety standards and international law, make its utmost efforts to avoid adverse effects on people and the environment and assess continuously its impact on the marine environment and ecosystem.
- The Japanese side welcomes the additional measures on the long-term international monitoring to be taken under the framework of the IAEA at the important stages of the discharge into the sea, based on the interest of all stakeholder countries including China, and ensures that all stakeholder countries including China will effectively participate in that monitoring, thereby their independent sampling and the interlaboratory comparisons (ILC) will be conducted.
- Both sides concurred to continue constructive dialogue from a scientific perspective, with a responsible attitude towards the ecological environment and people’s health, and appropriately address issues of interest regarding the discharge of ALPS treated water into the sea.
- The Chinese side explained that it had introduced emergency and precautionary measures to temporarily suspend imports of all aquatic products from Japan based on relevant Chinese laws and WTO rules. China will effectively participate in the long-term international monitoring under the framework of the IAEA, and, after conducting the monitoring activities such as the independent sampling by the participating countries, will initiate adjustment of the measures, based on scientific evidence, thereby steadily restoring imports of aquatic products from Japan which meet the standards.