The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, has commended China for its “constructive approach” in reaching an agreement with Japan regarding the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station into the ocean. Speaking on Friday, Grossi highlighted China’s “decisive role” in achieving this significant progress.
The Japanese government had unilaterally begun discharging the nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean on August 24, 2023, a move that sparked international concern. As a key stakeholder, China firmly opposed the discharge, urging Japan to address both domestic and international apprehensions. China called on Japan to fulfill its obligations by cooperating fully in establishing an independent and effective long-term international monitoring arrangement, ensuring meaningful participation from all stakeholders.
Following multiple rounds of consultations between the competent authorities of China and Japan, an agreement was announced earlier on Friday. The agreement includes Japan’s commitment to establish a long-term international monitoring arrangement within the IAEA framework. This arrangement will cover key stages of the discharge process and will allow substantive participation from China and other stakeholders. Importantly, participating countries will have the ability to conduct independent sampling, monitoring, and inter-laboratory comparisons.
In his statement, Grossi emphasized that the IAEA will coordinate with Japan and other stakeholders, including China, to ensure the proper implementation of these additional measures. He stressed the importance of maintaining the integrity of the process through full transparency. “The IAEA will act as a bridge to facilitate the implementation of this agreement,” Grossi stated.
Grossi also praised China’s advancements in nuclear energy and technologies, describing them as “impressive.” This year marks the 40th anniversary of China’s accession to the IAEA. Reflecting on this milestone, Grossi highlighted the “very important” relationship and deep cooperation between the IAEA and China. He expressed his optimism for even closer collaboration in the future.
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IAEA chief praises China for decisive, constructive Fukushima approach
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