TOKYO: Tokyo demanded on Tuesday (Aug 29) that China ensure the safety of Japanese citizens as it reported a brick being thrown at its embassy in Beijing in an escalating row over the release of Fukushima water.
Last week, China banned all seafood imports from its neighbour as Japan began releasing treated wastewater from the crippled plant in an operation the UN nuclear watchdog has declared safe.
Since then, Japan has urged its tens of thousands of citizens in China to keep a low profile and has increased security around schools and diplomatic missions.
Japan’s foreign minister on Tuesday confirmed media reports that the brick was thrown at its mission and echoed calls from Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for China to calm the situation.
“We would like to urge the Chinese government again to take appropriate measures immediately, such as calling on its citizens to act calmly to prevent the situation from escalating, and to take all possible measures to ensure the safety of Japanese residents and our diplomatic missions in China,” Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters in Tokyo.
He added that China should “provide accurate information” about the Fukushima water release “rather than unnecessarily raising people’s concerns by providing information without any scientific basis”.
In Beijing, a spokesperson at the Japanese embassy told AFP that staff were “extremely worried”.
“Some individuals have come to our (embassy) entrance,” the spokesperson said.
“They took these kinds of actions, then were led away by armed police.”
In response, foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Tuesday that Beijing “protects the safety” of foreigners in China, dismissing the “so-called concerns of the Japanese side”.
“Ignoring the strong doubts and opposition of the international community, the Japanese government unilaterally and forcibly started the discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear accident, which aroused strong indignation among people of all countries,” he added.
“This is the root cause of the current situation.”
Source: CNA
