Japan and China’s top diplomats met in Indonesia on Friday to discuss their ongoing dispute over Japan’s plan to release treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea. The meeting between Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi occurred on the sidelines of ministerial gatherings related to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Japan plans to discharge the treated water into the Pacific Ocean during the summer, following the approval of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which determined that the release aligns with global safety standards and will have minimal radiological impact. However, China has urged Japan to halt the plan, arguing that the IAEA’s safety review does not give it the green light to discharge what it calls nuclear-contaminated water into the sea.
In response, Japan has dismissed China’s concerns, accusing Beijing of spreading misinformation and demanding a scientific discussion on the matter. The Fukushima nuclear power plant accident occurred in 2011 after a massive earthquake and tsunami hit Japan. The water to be released has undergone a process that removes most radionuclides except tritium.
China has requested that Indonesia, the current ASEAN chair, express opposition to the water discharge in a statement following the group’s regional forum. Both Hayashi and Wang are in Indonesia to participate in various foreign ministerial meetings, including the ASEAN-plus-three talks involving Japan, China, and South Korea, and the 27-member forum, where U.S. and Russian delegates will also be present.
Relations between Japan and China have been strained not only by the Fukushima water issue but also by China’s increasing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region, pressure on Taiwan, and joint military activities with Russia near Japanese territory. However, in November 2021, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to pursue constructive and stable bilateral relations during their meeting in Bangkok, the first face-to-face summit between the two countries since December 2019.
The outcome of the meeting between Hayashi and Wang remains uncertain, as both countries hold opposing views on the nuclear water discharge. The dispute highlights the challenges in maintaining stable relations between Japan and China, with both countries needing to find common ground and resolve their differences through dialogue. The international community will closely monitor the developments in this ongoing issue and its impact on the broader relationship between the two Asian giants.
