An aerial view shows the Fukushima Daiichi (No. 1) nuclear power plant in Okuma town, Fukushima prefecture, Japan, on Thursday. The plant started releasing treated radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean at 1 p.m. Thursday. AFP via Xinhua
China will suspend imports of all aquatic products originating from Japan starting from Thursday to prevent risks from Japan’s discharge of nuclear-contaminated wastewater.
The General Administration of Customs (GAC) said in a statement that the emergency measures were taken to comprehensively prevent radioactive pollution risks caused by Japan’s discharge of the contaminated wastewater and protect the health of Chinese consumers.
The decision has been made in compliance with China’s food safety law, administrative protocols regarding the safety of food imports and exports, as well as the WTO’s agreement concerning the application of sanitary and phytosanitary measures, the statement said.
Chinese customs authorities are highly concerned about the risk of radioactive contamination, stemming from the discharge of the wastewater, to Japanese food and agricultural exports to China, said an official with the GAC’s import and export food safety bureau.
The GAC will continue to pay attention to the situation of Japan’s discharge of nuclear-contaminated wastewater into the ocean, and dynamically adjust relevant oversight measures to prevent risks to the health and food safety of the Chinese people, the official said.