BEIJING: China lodges solemn representations over the harassment of the Chinese embassy and consulates in Japan, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Tuesday.
According to reports, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi on Tuesday said it is “extremely regrettable and worrying” to learn that a brick was thrown at the Japanese embassy in China, and urged the Chinese side to call on the public to remain calm on the discharge of Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water. In response, Wang said China has responded to Japan’s so-called “concerns” and stated its position. Noting that the Chinese embassy and consulates in Japan have recently received a large number of harassing phone calls from Japan, Wang said China lodges solemn representations to Japan over the issue. China has always protected the security and legitimate rights and interests of foreigners in China in accordance with the law, Wang said. Ignoring strong doubts and opposition from the international community, the Japanese government unilaterally launched the discharge of Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water into the sea, which is the root cause of the current situation, he said.
“In response to Japan’s selfish and irresponsible wrongdoing, China and other parties involved have the right and responsibility to take legitimate, reasonable and necessary preventive measures to safeguard the safety of the marine environment, food and people’s health,” he said.
The spokesperson urged the Japanese side to immediately correct its mistakes and stop the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water into the sea. Japan has started releasing nuclear-contaminated water from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the Pacific Ocean on Thursday, while hundreds of Japanese gathered in central Tokyo to rally against the discharge plan. Live video provided by the plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) showed that a staff member turned on a seawater pump at around 1:00 p.m. local time (0400 GMT), marking the beginning of the controversial ocean discharge, while concerns and opposition persisted among local fishermen as well as in neighboring countries and Pacific island countries. –The Daily Mail-CGTN news exchange item
