Photo: China Foreign Ministry's spokesperson Lin Jian

For some time now, a series of nuclear facility safety incidents in Japan have raised concern, including fraud of quality inspection data for radiation detectors at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant and an overflow accident involving spent fuel pool cooling water at the reprocessing plant in the village of Rokkasho, Aomori Prefecture, the Chinese Foreign Ministry's spokesperson Lin Jian said during a press conference on Wednesday in response to a question about water containing radioactive substances leakage that occurred on December 23 at the Fugen nuclear reactor in Tsuruga City, Fukui Prefecture, Japan, which is currently undergoing decommissioning work. Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority said the concentration of radioactive substances in the leaked water was believed to be "relatively high," and that several people may have been exposed to radiation.

Against the backdrop of various problems such as aging nuclear facilities, chaotic management, and inadequate regulation, Japan has still decided to restart the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant, which previously experienced a spent fuel pool cooling water overflow incident, which has already sparked opposition and protests among the Japanese public, Lin said. 

China urges Japan to fully draw lessons from the Fukushima nuclear accident, earnestly fulfill its nuclear safety responsibilities, promptly provide information and take effective measures, properly handle the decommissioning of nuclear power plants and the disposal of radioactive waste, and voluntarily accept international oversight so as to reduce concerns in the international community, said Lin.

This incident further demonstrates that the international community needs to continue strengthening comprehensive oversight and monitoring of the management of Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water discharge into the sea and the operation of related equipment, in order to safeguard the safety of the marine environment, the spokesperson said.