Meeting with Indonesian Officials during ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting
Discussing Issues Beyond Nuclear Power, Including East China Sea Matters
Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, and Yoshimasa Hayashi, Japanese Foreign Minister, met in Jakarta, Indonesia on the 14th during the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting to discuss the issue of the discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean.
The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that in the afternoon, "Foreign Minister Hayashi clearly reiterated Japan's position on the discharge of ALPS (Advanced Liquid Processing System) treated water into the ocean, strongly demanding a scientific response from China once again, while also conveying Japan's willingness to communicate with China from a scientific perspective."
The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not mention Wang Yi's remarks on the contaminated water, but it is believed that warning statements were made. Wang Yi had pointed out at the ASEAN+3 (South Korea, China, Japan) Foreign Ministers' Meeting the previous day that "the discharge of contaminated water is a serious matter affecting the safety of the marine environment and human health," and that "reckless actions and major mistakes must be avoided."
Matsuno Hirokazu, Chief Cabinet Secretary and spokesperson for the Japanese government, expressed displeasure at a press conference regarding China's recent criticism of Japan's contaminated water discharge plan, stating, "We strongly demand that China discuss this matter based on scientific evidence."
At the meeting, Foreign Minister Hayashi also conveyed serious concerns again about the situation in the East China Sea, including the Senkaku Islands (尖閣, known as Diaoyudao (釣魚島) in China), which are subject to territorial disputes between China and Japan, as well as China's active military activities around Japan in cooperation with Russia. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also introduced that he spoke about the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.
In his opening remarks, Foreign Minister Hayashi mentioned that this year marks the 45th anniversary of the signing of the China-Japan Peace and Friendship Treaty, and that while there are various possibilities in current China-Japan relations, there are also many challenges and serious issues, making it a very important phase, expressing his intention to continue dialogue. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs introduced that Wang Yi shared the same view on this statement.
Wang Yi attended the ASEAN meeting on behalf of Qin Gang, Chinese Foreign Minister, who was absent due to health reasons.
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