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単語数: 500語

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作成日: 2023/09/06 19:38

更新日: 2025/12/09 00:04

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No sparks over Fukushima as Kishida crosses paths with China's Li
Jesse Johnson
1 hour ago

The Japan Times
Concerns that China could use a meeting of Southeast Asian nations to condemn Japan’s release of treated wastewater from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant failed to publicly materialize Wednesday, as Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Japanese leader Fumio Kishida crossed paths during the summit in Jakarta.

Kishida and Li briefly chatted ahead of their Association of Southeast Asian Nations Plus Three meeting, according to a senior Japanese official. However, it was not immediately clear if the Japanese side had broached the Fukushima issue with Chinese officials in private or during the meeting, which also included South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and other top ASEAN officials.

Japanese officials said ahead of the summit that Kishida would explain the safety of the water discharge to the gathered leaders, noting especially the International Atomic Energy Agency’s July conclusion that the plan complies with global safety standards.

The ASEAN summit was the first encounter by senior leaders from the two Asian powers since the Aug. 24 discharge into the Pacific Ocean began — a move that saw China slap a blanket ban on seafood imports from Japan in response.

Japan has emphasized scientific data, as well as endorsements from the IAEA and a spate of other countries and international organizations, to rebut Chinese claims that the release from the meltdown-hit Fukushima plant could cause unexpected damage to the marine environment and human bodies.

Beijing claims that the IAEA assessment did not reflect a diverse enough set of views from experts, criticizing Japan's discharge of "nuclear-contaminated water" into the ocean as irresponsible.

Earlier this week, Tokyo submitted a written argument to the World Trade Organization protesting China’s import ban while also sending a formal request to discuss the restrictions with Beijing through the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership framework — a multilateral free-trade agreement ratified by both countries.

In opening remarks before the ASEAN-plus-three meeting, Li also appeared to speak about China’s growing rivalry with the United States, especially in the Indo-Pacific region.

“Disagreements and disputes may arise between countries due to misperceptions, diverging interests or external interferences,” Li said. “What is essential now is to oppose picking sides, oppose bloc confrontation and oppose a new cold war.”

In what has been widely seen as a veiled jab at China, Kishida used his opening statement to reiterate a call for countries “to maintain and strengthen the free and open international order based on the rule of law,” which he said is “indispensable” to prosperity.

Kishida and Li — who is filling in for Chinese leader Xi Jinping — are set to attend the East Asia Summit on Thursday, where they will be joined by senior officials from the United States, India and Russia. The Japanese leader and Chinese premier will then separately head to the Group of 20 summit over the weekend in New Delhi, where Russia's war in Ukraine is likely to top the agenda.

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