China demands halt to dumping of Fukushima cooling water into Pacific

This file photo taken on March 10, 2014, shows a worker wearing a protective suit and a mask looking up at storage tanks for radioactive water, under construction in the J1 area at the Tokyo Electric Power Co's (TEPCO) tsunami-crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Okuma, Fukushima prefecture. AFP-Yonhap

China has called on Japan to cancel the planned discharge of treated cooling water from the Fukushima nuclear ruin into the sea.

Tokyo announced on Tuesday the controversial dumping was set to begin on Thursday, despite opposition from fishermen, citizens and environmental groups.

"China urges Japan to correct its wrong decision," a Beijing Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Tuesday.?The water must be disposed of responsibly and under strict international supervision, he said. China will take all necessary measures to protect the marine environment, food safety and public health, he added.

Beijing announced weeks ago that it would tighten import regulations for Japanese foodstuffs in the event of a launch. Furthermore, the existing import ban on food from 10 Japanese prefectures, including Fukushima, will be maintained, Chinese customs authorities said. (DPA)