People gather to protest the Japanese government's irresponsible decision to start releasing nuclear-contaminated wastewater in front of the Japanese prime minister's official residence in Tokyo, Japan, Aug. 22, 2023.(Xinhua/Feng Wuyong)
The disposal of nuclear-contaminated water concerns the global marine ecosystem and public health, and Japan should promptly establish a long-term international monitoring mechanism that includes relevant neighboring countries to effectively safeguard the global marine ecosystem, says Chinese environment minister at a meeting in Tokyo.
TOKYO, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese environment minister has urged Japan to faithfully fulfill its international obligations, engage in thorough consultations with other stakeholders, and dispose of the nuclear-contaminated water in a scientific and responsible way.
Noting that the disposal of nuclear-contaminated water concerns the global marine ecosystem and public health, Minister of Ecology and Environment Huang Runqiu made the remarks during the opening ceremony for the 24th Tripartite Environment Ministers Meeting among China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK).
The meeting was held in the Japanese city of Nagoya from Friday to Saturday.
Japan should promptly establish a long-term international monitoring mechanism that includes relevant neighboring countries to effectively safeguard the global marine ecosystem, Huang further noted at a press conference following the meeting.
People gather to protest the Japanese government and Tokyo Electric Power Company's (TEPCO) decision on releasing nuclear-contaminated wastewater in front of the headquarters of the TEPCO in Tokyo, Japan, Aug. 24, 2023. (Xinhua/Yang Guang)
Huang said China, Japan and the ROK, as important cooperation partners, share geographical proximity and cultural affinity.
China is willing to continue strengthening cooperation with the other two countries in practicing genuine multilateralism and jointly promoting the success of significant environmental multilateral processes, including the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the United Nations (UN) Framework Convention on Climate Change, the global plastics treaty, and the UN Environment Assembly, said Huang.
Efforts will be made to share the experiences of trilateral environmental cooperation with more partners to make new and greater contributions to regional and global sustainable development, he added.
People attend a rally protesting against Japan's dumping of nuclear-contaminated wastewater into the ocean in Busan, South Korea, Aug. 26, 2023. (Xinhua/Lu Rui)
Respective delegations led by Huang, Japanese Minister of the Environment Shintaro Ito, and ROK Minister of Environment Han Jeoung-ae participated in the meeting, where they shared their respective national environmental policies and recent developments, and exchanged views on regional and global environmental issues of mutual concern.
The implementation of the Tripartite Joint Action Plan on Environment Cooperation 2021-2025 was reviewed at the meeting, and the joint communique of the 24th Tripartite Environment Ministers Meeting was jointly signed.
The Tripartite Environment Ministers Meeting among China, Japan, and the ROK has been held annually since 1999 to address common environmental issues for the region and promote sustainable growth. ■