Received endorsement from the United States and South Korea? Japan may finalize schedule for Fukushima nuclear contaminated water discharge into the sea, US, Japan, South Korea | Kishida | Nuclear wastewater | Japan

On the 20th local time, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida immediately went to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant after his trip to the United States to inspect the preparations for the discharge of contaminated water into the sea. Japanese media also reported that the Japanese government will hold a cabinet meeting on the 22nd to finalize the schedule for the discharge of Fukushima nuclear contaminated water into the sea.

Public opinion has noticed that in the context of the Fukushima nuclear contaminated water discharge plan seemingly receiving support from the US and South Korean governments, Kishida's visit to Fukushima this time aims to win the support of local people for this plan. However, there are still many questions to be answered regarding the Fukushima nuclear contaminated water discharge plan.

"Final stage"

"Before making a final decision, I would like to personally visit the site." On the 18th local time, after meeting with US and South Korean leaders in the United States, Kishida stated that he will go to Fukushima before the 20th to inspect the preparations for the discharge of nuclear contaminated water into the sea.

"In order to promote the retirement of nuclear power plants and the reconstruction of Fukushima, it is urgent to discharge treated water." Kishida said that the Japanese government has reached the final stage of making a decision and will consider comprehensively, such as minimizing the impact on local fisheries.

It is reported that Kishida arrived at Haneda Airport in Tokyo late at night on the 19th local time, and on the 20th, he immediately went to inspect the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant and met with Tokyo Electric Power Company executives.

Kishida also plans to meet with senior members of the Japan National Fisheries Association Federation and the Fukushima Prefectural Fisheries Cooperation Association Federation on the 21st. Due to concerns about the development of local fisheries, these two organizations still oppose plans to discharge nuclear contaminated water into the sea. It is expected that Kishida will explain to it the assessment results released by the International Atomic Energy Agency last month, emphasizing the "safety" of nuclear contaminated water being discharged into the sea to alleviate concerns and seek support.

Kishida did not provide a schedule for the discharge of Fukushima nuclear contaminated water into the sea. On the 19th, Kyodo News Agency quoted sources familiar with the situation as saying that the Japanese government has basically decided to convene a meeting of relevant officials on the 22nd, and final negotiations will be held on the plan to discharge nuclear contaminated water from late August to early September.

Strive for support

The Japan Broadcasting Association stated that this is Kishida's first inspection of the nuclear contaminated water discharge facility at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. The public also noticed that Kishida's trip to Fukushima occurred in multiple contexts.

Firstly, the discharge of contaminated water from Fukushima into the sea is urgent. On March 11, 2011, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake occurred in the waters near Fukushima Prefecture, followed by a massive tsunami that caused the core of Units 1 to 3 of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant to melt, leaving behind a large amount of nuclear contaminated water and other aftermath.

In April 2021, the Japanese government officially decided to treat nuclear contaminated water and discharge it into the sea. However, due to the presence of various radioactive substances such as cesium, strontium, and tritium in these nuclear contaminated water, and the difficulty of removing tritium from the water, the Fukushima nuclear contaminated water discharge plan continues to face concerns, opposition, and criticism from the Japanese domestic population and neighboring countries.

As time goes by, the nuclear contaminated water storage tanks inside the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant are approaching saturation. TEPCO stated that as of the end of July, approximately 1.34 million tons of treated water had been stored in the water tanks of the nuclear power plant, reaching 98% of its storage capacity.

At the same time, the Japanese government spent several months taking various measures in an attempt to gain support both domestically and internationally.

Last month, the International Atomic Energy Agency released a comprehensive assessment report on the disposal of Fukushima nuclear contaminated water, stating that Japan's plan to discharge nuclear contaminated water into the sea generally meets international safety standards. According to Agence France Presse, this has cleared the last regulatory obstacle for the discharge of contaminated water from Fukushima nuclear power into the sea.

However, Reuters quoted sources familiar with the situation as saying that even so, Japan has not yet finalized a timetable for the discharge of contaminated water from Fukushima until the US, Japan, and South Korean leaders meet at Camp David. This move aims to avoid arousing opposition from the South Korean government and affecting the just recovering Japan South Korea relationship.

On the 18th local time, leaders of the United States, Japan, and South Korea held talks at Camp David, a presidential resort in Maryland. The Fukushima nuclear contaminated water discharge plan seems to be one of the topics.

According to Bloomberg, Kishida and US President Biden discussed relevant topics during a bilateral meeting, during which Kishida expressed gratitude for the support provided by the US side.

At the same time, South Korean President Yoon Seok yeol acknowledged the comprehensive evaluation report released by the International Atomic Energy Agency. But he also stated that it is necessary for the international community to conduct transparent and responsible supervision of the discharge of Fukushima nuclear contaminated water into the sea. Meanwhile, the Fukushima nuclear contaminated water discharge plan still faces widespread concerns, opposition, and criticism in South Korea.

Public opinion believes that, in the context of gaining support from the South Korean and US governments, Kishida's visit to Fukushima will focus on the local people in order to gain support.

However, there are still many questions to be answered regarding the Fukushima nuclear contaminated water discharge plan. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on August 17th, "Can Tokyo Electric Power Company safely and responsibly dispose of Fukushima nuclear contaminated water from beginning to end? Can it ensure that there are no mistakes or mistakes in emissions management for 30 years? Can it ensure the long-term effectiveness and reliability of purification devices? Can nuclear contaminated water sampling and monitoring activities be carried out in strict accordance with regulations? The international community has to cast a big question mark on these issues." China once again urges Japan to face the reasonable concerns of the international community and domestic people, stop forcefully promoting plans to discharge into the sea, communicate with neighboring countries in a sincere manner, effectively dispose of nuclear contaminated water in a responsible manner, and accept strict international supervision.

In addition, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Grossy, emphasized in the preface of the comprehensive evaluation report that the treatment and discharge of water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the sea is a "national decision" of the Japanese government. "This report is neither a recommendation nor endorsement of this policy.".