Tensions between China, Korea, and Japan have escalated, with economic coercion becoming a key issue. South Korea has restricted imports of Japanese marine products since the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident in 2011. In response, the Japanese government has requested the World Trade Organization (WTO) to establish a panel to address the issue [dd21a1b6].
Tokyo's recent announcement of discharging treated water from the Fukushima plant into the Pacific Ocean has raised concerns in South Korea. The article emphasizes the importance of taking measures against false rumors and disinformation [dd21a1b6] [786b59d5].
China has also imposed a ban on Japanese marine products, impacting scallop and sea cucumber farmers. The article suggests that Japan should consider filing a complaint with the WTO against China's arbitrary economic coercion. The outcome of such a filing could impact the legitimacy of the current South Korean ban as well [dd21a1b6].
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has declared that Japan's release of treated radioactive wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi plant into the Pacific Ocean complies with international safety standards. The IAEA conducted a review mission in October 2023 and found that the water treatment facilities and equipment used to treat the water meet the necessary standards. The levels of tritium, a radioactive isotope of hydrogen, found in the surrounding waters are well below World Health Organisation limits for drinking water quality. However, China and Hong Kong imposed import bans on Japanese seafood due to safety concerns. Japan has discharged a total of 23,400 tonnes of water since August 2023 and plans to continue releasing one million tonnes of discharge over the next 30-40 years [786b59d5].
In a recent report by Kyodo News, it was revealed that Chinese nuclear power plants released wastewater containing tritium in 2022 at levels up to nine times higher than the planned annual discharge from Japan's Fukushima Daiichi complex. The amount of tritium in the wastewater at 15 locations greatly surpassed the maximum annual limit of 22 trillion becquerels set for the treated water planned to be released from the Fukushima power plant. The Qinshan plant in China discharged around 202 trillion becquerels of tritium in 2022. The Japanese government said the Fukushima plant was releasing about 2.2 trillion becquerels of tritium annually before the meltdowns in 2011. In July 2023, the International Atomic Energy Agency concluded that the Fukushima water discharge aligns with global safety standards and will have a negligible radiological impact on people and the environment [4c213fcb] [db3c32c8] [fb1081cb].
Japan's seafood exports have been impacted by China's ban on imports after Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc.'s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant started discharging treated water into the sea in August 2023. Yamanaka, a marine product processing company in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, has been notified by its Hong Kong business partner that all transactions will be discontinued. Japan's exports of marine products totaled ¥390.1 billion last year, up only 0.7% from the previous year. Exports to mainland China fell sharply, while exports to the United States rose. The average unit price of abalone caught in Iwate Prefecture between November and December decreased by 35.3% compared to the previous year. Many fisheries are seeking alternative sales channels, such as Genshoei Kitanihon Fishery Co., which has begun expanding sales in Southeast Asia. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has evaluated the treated water release as consistent with international safety standards, but China has not lifted the import ban. TEPCO is estimated to owe about ¥37 billion in compensation for rumor-causing damage. The fishing industry in Fukushima has been affected for a long time, and the amount caught by the three fisheries cooperative associations in the coastal area has returned to only about one-quarter of the pre-2011 quake level. However, there has been no major impact on market prices thanks to campaigns to increase consumption of marine products. Mistakes by TEPCO in the process of releasing the treated water have raised concerns about the future of the fisheries industry in Fukushima. [8e72ba88] [61e83463].
The head of the U.N. atomic agency, Rafael Grossi, reassured local Japanese representatives in Fukushima that the ongoing discharge of treated radioactive wastewater at the Fukushima nuclear power plant is safe and meets safety standards. Grossi stated that any restrictions on products from the region are 'not scientific.' The discharges began in August 2024 after more than a decade of cleanup work following the 2011 disaster that damaged the plant and caused triple meltdowns. The discharges have faced opposition from fishing groups and neighboring countries, including China. Grossi emphasized the importance of transparency, technical accuracy, and open dialogue. He expressed support for increasing Japan's nuclear capacity and offered technical assistance to improve the idled Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant. The restart of the plant remains uncertain and is subject to the host community's consent [3f889a82].
A city in the Russian far east near the border with China, Khabarovsk, experienced a 1,600-fold spike in radiation levels, prompting a state of emergency. The increased radiation levels were caused by parts from a mobile repair and chemical workshop. The radiation was detected near a power pylon around 2.5km from residential buildings. The issue has been resolved and radiation levels have returned to normal. The radioactive object was found to be a capsule from a flaw detector and was properly disposed of. The peak radioactivity level detected was 800 microsieverts, 1,600 times higher than the safe level of 0.5 microsieverts per hour. Chinese social media users expressed concern about a storage facility for solid household radioactive waste near Khabarovsk and questioned the safety of the northeastern region of China in the event of a nuclear radiation leak [18da65e9] [dc62583c] [5cb58bda].