The leader of the Solomon Islands, who has cultivated strong ties with China, joined Beijing on Friday in condemning Japan’s release of wastewater from the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant.

Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly, Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare expressed his “appalled” at the decision and voiced concerns about its potential impact on his South Pacific nation.

“If this nuclear wastewater is safe, it should be stored in Japan. The fact that it’s dumped into the ocean shows that it is not safe,” he asserted.

He further emphasized, “The effect of this act is transboundary and intergenerational and is an attack on global trust and solidarity,”

Sogavare called upon Japan to halt the discharge “immediately” and explore alternative solutions, Barrons reported.

Japan initiated the discharge on August 24, releasing some of the 1.34 million tonnes of accumulated wastewater since the facility was devastated by a tsunami in 2011.

Japan maintains that the discharge is safe, a stance supported by the UN nuclear agency, with Western countries, including the United States, expressing understanding.

However, China, which has a history of tensions with Japan, accused Tokyo of treating the ocean as a “sewer.”

China responded by banning all imports of Japanese seafood, and Chinese citizens have engaged in protests targeting Japanese schools and consulates, including incidents involving bricks and eggs.

Written by staff