Put an End to the Harassment through Phone Calls

The release of treated radioactive wastewater from Japan’s Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant has sparked discontent in China. Individuals have resorted to making abusive phone calls to government departments, schools, restaurants, and even a concert hall and aquarium in Japan. This comes after Japan announced its plans to discharge more than a million tons of treated radioactive wastewater into the Pacific Ocean over the course of 30 years. While Japan assures that radioactivity levels in the ocean have remained within safe limits, China remains highly critical, despite its own release of treated wastewater containing tritium, sometimes in higher levels. As a result, China has moved to ban imports of Japanese seafood. The calls originating from Chinese dial codes are made in Chinese, Japanese, and English, with some callers resorting to using abusive language while discussing the release. Numerous Japanese businesses have reported disruptions in their operations due to an overwhelming volume of calls from Chinese speakers, with one business alone receiving 1,000 calls within a day. It is worth noting that Japanese facilities in China have also become targets. In an effort to restore calm, a senior Japanese diplomat has reached out to officials at the Chinese embassy in Tokyo, urging them to take appropriate measures to ensure the safety of Japanese residents and diplomatic missions in China. Japan will continue to monitor radioactivity levels in the seawater surrounding the plant and release test results on a weekly basis for the next three months.

To maintain peace and stability, it is important for the Chinese government to encourage its citizens to act calmly amidst this situation. Additionally, they should take all necessary steps to guarantee the safety of both Japanese residents in China and Japanese diplomatic missions within the country. Japanese authorities are dedicated to monitoring the radioactivity levels in the seawater surrounding the plant and will be transparent in releasing these test results on a weekly basis over the next three months.