BEIJING, August 22. /TASS/: The decision by the Japanese authorities to discharge water from the Fukushima-1 emergency nuclear power plant into the sea is a mistake, and China will be forced to take all necessary retaliatory measures, the country’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said.
"China strongly insists that Japan should rectify this wrong decision and abandon its plan to discharge radioactive water into the sea," he told a regular briefing, "The Chinese side will take all necessary measures to protect marine ecology, safeguard food safety and public health."
The Chinese diplomat pointed out that the ocean belongs to all mankind. "This is an extremely selfish and irresponsible act [by the Japanese side]," he clarified, noting that Beijing has already sternly voiced its position to Tokyo on the matter.
"If this radioactive water is safe, there is no need to dump it into the sea. If it is unsafe, there is no need to discharge it," Wang Wenbin said. According to him, the Japanese government is committing a "wrong, irrational and unnecessary act."
As the NHK TV channel reported earlier, citing sources, the Japanese government is in the final stages of approving August 24 as the date to begin discharging radiation-treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean.
The Fukushima Daiichi accident occurred in 2011 after a massive tsunami knocked out the plant's power and cooling systems. As a result, nuclear fuel in the reactors of three units melted and burned through the containment shield. This was accompanied by hydrogen explosions that damaged the fourth unit. At the same time, a large amount of radioactive material was released, contaminating the surrounding area. The plant is expected to be completely shut down by 2050.
