INTERNATIONAL: China through its Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman in Beijing on Monday has expressed its grave concern over the firm opposition to Japan’s ongoing preparation for the ocean discharge and has urged Japan to revoke its decision to dump contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean and stop all preparatory work for the discharge. Spokesman Zhao Lijian has made the remarks at a daily news briefing in response to reports that there are growing concerns over the Japanese nuclear-contaminated water discharge decision.

According to the reports, Tetsu Nozaki, head of the Fukushima Prefectural Federation of Fisheries Cooperative Associations, has told Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Koichi Hagiota on December 23 that he could not understand why the nuclear contaminated water that should be stored will be discharged into places where people live, while deeply regretting Tokyo Electric Power Company's proceeding with the discharge in violation of its earlier commitment and without gaining relevant people's understanding.

Meanwhile, Republic of Korea Foreign Ministry officials have summoned officials of the Japanese embassy in Seoul recently to express concern over Japan's pushing forward the ocean discharge process and forwarded a diplomatic letter stating the ROK's position.

Zhao has said the reports proved that Japan's claimed science-based and transparent disposal of the contaminated water is not accepted either domestically or internationally. Zhao has described Japan's unilateral decision to dump contaminated water as "self-deception" by citing a Chinese going derived from an ancient story of someone trying to steal a bell with his ears plugged. He urged the Japanese side to respond to the concern of its neighboring countries and revoke the ocean discharge decision.