China, ROK jointly criticize Japan's wastewater move

Beijing and Seoul have voiced shared objection to Tokyo's decision to discharge radioactive wastewater into the Pacific Ocean.

The objection was made at the first meeting of China-Republic of Korea dialogue and cooperation mechanism for maritime affairs held on Wednesday via video link.

The two sides expressed strong dissatisfaction with Japan's recent unilateral decision to discharge the nuclear wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant disregarding the opposition of the international community, especially China and the ROK, its two important neighbors.

China and the ROK will continue to maintain close communication and coordination in this regard, and they "are willing to work with the international community and regional countries to take necessary measures and actions to jointly address this international challenge", according to a press release by Chinese Foreign Ministry.

The two sides urged Japan to prudently deal with the wastewater issue based on fully consulting with international institutions and neighboring countries and ensuring "substantive participation of relevant countries and international institutions", the statement said.