Tokyo takes hit over nuclear plan
▶ Decision to have fatal impact on Japanese exports
Japan’s decision to dump radioactive wastewater into the ocean will draw more fierce opposition from neighboring countries and regions in the near future, which could cause fatal impact on some Japanese exports that are already struggling to overcome reputational damage after the nuclear crisis a decade ago.
The Japanese government’s decision to dump contaminated water from its crippled Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea in two years has also drawn fierce opposition by local fishermen and residents as well as the international community.
China and South Korea on Wednesday urged Japan to prudently handle the issue based on full consultation with international organizations and its neighbors, and the substantive participation of relevant countries and international organizations, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
South Korean President Moon Jaein ordered officials on Wednesday to explore petitioning an international court over the Japanese government’s decision, Reuters reported.
South Korean Foreign Ministry on Tuesday summoned Koichi Aiboshi, Tokyo’s new ambassador in Seoul, and convened an intra- agency emergency meeting to craft a response.
Beyond the diplomatic efforts, retailers in South Korea have already taken action. Local supermarket chains E- mart, Lotte Mart and Homeplus have confirmed that they will continue boycotting sales of Japanese seafood, the Korea Times reported.
Russia will also lodge representations with Japan over the decision and call on Japan to inform the concerned countries of the situation, including future measures to minimize harm to the region and the ecology, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday.
Chinese consumers’ confidence in Japanese products has plunged. Seafood sourced from not only Japan, but also around the Pacific Ocean, including Canada and some of China’s coastal areas, are among the top concerns.
Zhao Lijian, a spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry, stressed on Wednesday that the ocean is not Japan’s “trash can,” and the Pacific is not Japan’s “sewer,” adding that the world should not be forced to pay for Japan’s treatment of nuclear wastewater.
“Japan has been in talks with China about allowing its agricultural products from 10 prefectures around the Fukushima Prefecture to enter the Chinese market over the years since the disaster, but there has been no conclusion,” Chen Yan, executive director of the Japanese Corporations Research Institute, told the Global Times on Wednesday.
“The Japanese government’s recent decision will only make the negotiations tremendously difficult,” Chen said, adding that more countries and regions will raise concerns and strong opposition in the near future toward the Japanese government, whose decision will have a fatal impact on its agricultural and fishery products and even industrial ones, as well as its local employment – especially fisherman and farmers.