In a statement from Japan’s foreign ministry, Okano described the spate of phone calls allegedly coming in from China to various government agencies in the country as “alarming and regrettable.” He also requested that the safety of Japanese citizens staying on Chinese territory be guaranteed.
He also doubts that “the Chinese government’s recent expansion and tightening of restrictions on imports of Japanese seafood is a science-based response,” calling the decision “extremely regrettable” and calling for “immediate…” lifting of restrictions .
Calls from China
On August 24, Fukushima City Hall received calls with the country code 86, which corresponds to China. A day later, the number of calls surpassed 200, flooding phone lines and disrupting the work of city workers, Reuters reported, citing a local official.
The source said 65 similar calls were received at the city’s elementary and secondary schools on the same day. Callers made comments like, “Why dump polluted water in the Pacific Ocean, which is a sea for everyone?” he added.
Last Thursday, Japanese authorities began dumping about a million tons of contaminated sewage, which was stored in 1,000 steel tanks at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, into the Pacific Ocean.
Although the ALPS filter system reduces radioactive contamination, the current treatment cannot eliminate the presence of tritium. This has provoked fierce opposition from the region’s fishermen’s unions, who fear negative environmental and economic impacts. In addition to China, other neighboring countries have also expressed concerns.
With information from EFE.