Commentary: Global community must stop Japan dumping nuclear-tainted water

BEIJING, Aug. 29 (Xinhua) -- Despite strong condemnation from domestic fishermen, neighboring countries, and worldwide environmental experts, Japan started releasing the Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean on Aug. 24 -- a black day for the Earth and humanity.

The Fukushima nuclear accident is one of the world's most serious nuclear disasters. As a result, the contaminated water is known to have more than 60 radioactive elements, known as radionuclides. No viable technology exists to treat this multitude of nuclides, and long-lived variants might disperse through ocean currents, leading to unforeseeable repercussions for marine ecology and human health. The Japanese government plans to dump more than 1.3 million tonnes of nuclear-contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the sea over 30 years.

By discharging the nuclear-contaminated water into the sea, Japan set a notorious precedent in human history and became a devastator of the ecological environment and polluter of the global ocean. It has yet to prove the legitimacy and legality of its ocean discharge decision, the long-term reliability of the purification facility, and the authenticity and accuracy of the nuclear-contaminated water data.

This irresponsible state move by Japan puts the world at risk of nuclear contamination. It seriously infringes upon the rights of people in all countries to health, development, and a healthy environment. People in other countries, far away or not from Japan, will be impacted as time passes.

Beyond its environmental implications, Japan's move raises broader diplomatic and trust-related concerns. By choosing to release nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean despite the fact that there are a number of choices, the Japanese government showcases a dearth of forward-thinking and accountability.

The sea is the common asset of the whole of humanity. The world should not stand by and bear Japan's disastrous handling of nuclear-contaminated water. The international community must work concertedly to stop Japan's wrong and reckless act before it causes unbearable and unpredictable consequences to the marine ecology, humanity, and the only home of human beings.

China has opposed and condemned Japan's release of the Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean and has asked the Japanese government to stop this wrongdoing. To prevent risks from Japan's discharge of nuclear-contaminated wastewater, China suspended the imports of all aquatic products from Japan from Aug. 24.

Collective action is urgently needed to protect the globe from the endless and irreversible damage from Japan's nuclear-contaminated water. Japan must listen to the concerns of all stakeholders and the international community, drop its arrogance and stubbornness, shoulder its due responsibility, and terminate its myopic way of discharging nuclear-polluted water.