Xinhua News Agency United Nations on August 8  Chinese Ambassador for Disarmament Affairs Li Song delivered a keynote speech at the 10th Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) on August 8, comprehensively expounded China's position on the peaceful use of nuclear energy and expressed grave concern over Japan's discharge of nuclear-contaminated water into the sea.  

Li Song said that the potential impact of Japan's discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea on the Marine ecological environment, food safety and human health cannot be ignored.  The Japanese government's unilateral decision to release nuclear contaminated water into the sea is purely based on economic costs, and it has neither exhausted safe disposal means nor fully consulted with neighboring countries and international institutions.  It is neither responsible nor immoral to shift risks to the international community for selfish ends.  Not only the Japanese people are strongly dissatisfied, but also China, the ROK, Russia and Pacific island countries have expressed their concern.  

Li Song said the international community is highly concerned about issues such as the legitimacy of Japan's plan to discharge nuclear contaminated water into the sea, the reliability of data, the effectiveness of purification devices and the uncertainty of environmental impact.  The IAEA working group has not yet reached a final conclusion in its assessment of Japan's sea discharge plan. Instead, it has put forward many suggestions for improvement.  Regrettably, the Japanese side turned a deaf ear to this, continued to push ahead with preparations for the discharge and hastily approved the plan.  This attempt to create a fait accompli is not the work of a responsible state.  

Li stressed that the discharge of Japan's nuclear contaminated water into the sea is not a private matter of Japan.  The Japanese side should seriously respond to the concerns of the international community, return to the track of full consultation with stakeholders and relevant international institutions, and stop pushing for the plan to release nuclear contaminated water into the sea.  The Japanese side should ensure that nuclear contaminated water is disposed of in an open, transparent, scientific and safe manner, including considering alternatives to sea discharge, and accept strict supervision by the International Atomic Energy Agency.  This is a litmus test of whether Japan can effectively fulfill its international responsibilities.