Philippines expresses concerns over Fukushima wastewater dumping

Following suit of Japan’s neighboring countries including China, Russia and South Korea, the Philippines is the first Southeast Asian country to express deep concerns over Japan’s decision to dump Fukushima wastewater into the sea.

Philippine presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said on Thursday he hopes that nations, including those behind the pollution, would follow the law’s principles, and pay for the damage, local media reported.

“First principle is we are one ecosystem. Second principle is that we are interconnected and the third principle is that the polluter must pay,” he noted.

Chinese analysts said Southeast Asian countries except Laos are maritime countries, and they are also major fishing countries.

A Pacific Ocean threatened by nuclear pollution would affect the regional aquaculture industry and trade, with coastal countries to be greatly impacted, Chinese analysts stressed, noting that the countries in the Southeast Asia could not stand by over this serious issue.

However, the Global Times found that media in Vietnam, Indonesia, and other countries in the region seemed to have downplayed the coverage with few comments and reports over the Fukushima wastewater dumping.

Zhuang Guotu, head of Xiamen University’s Southeast Asian Studies Center, told the Global Times on Thursday that Southeast Asian countries have a close relationship with Japan both politically and economically, which could possibly explain their reluctance to speak out against Japan.

Chinese Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Wu Jianghao on Thursday summoned Japanese Ambassador to China Hideo Tarumi, and made solemn representations on the Japanese government’s decision to dump wastewater to the ocean.