Sept. 20 (UPI) — China will quickly start easing an import ban on all Japanese seafood, after assuaging issues associated to monitoring handled wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, officers stated Friday. China reached an settlement with the International Atomic Energy Agency to permit the nation’s officers to watch handled water being discharged into the ocean from the Fukushima plant, which suffered reactor injury in March 2011 when a magnitude 9.1 earthquake and tsunami hit Japan.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning informed reporters in Beijing Friday that China stays completely against Japan “unilaterally starting the ocean discharge.”
She stated the blanket ban is not going to be lifted instantly however can be repealed slowly as Chinese officers start the extra monitoring course of.
Japan introduced final August it might start a gradual launch of handled radioactive wastewater collected from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear energy plant into the ocean.
Chinese officers the identical day introduced a complete ban on Japanese seafood imports regardless of claims the handled water posed no risk.
Last September, Chinese seafood imports from Japan fell 67.6% on a year-over-year foundation.
Tokyo has persistently maintained releasing the wastewater doesn’t pose a well being threat in seafood.
The nation on Friday agreed to permit China to conduct additional monitoring of the discharged water, below supervision of IAEA officers.
“China has begun adjusting its import restrictions and will steadily resume imports of Japanese seafood that meet safety standards,” Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida informed reporters at a news convention Friday.
“Our country’s position that the restrictions should be promptly lifted has not changed, and we will continue working toward full removal of the restrictions.”
Kishida stated China and different international locations within the area are anticipated to participate within the further monitoring.