Overseas Network, April 18th. The G7 climate and energy ministerial meeting held in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan, concluded on the 16th. Japan received public “response” from the German side due to the issue of nuclear sewage discharge into the sea. South Korea’s “Hankyoreh” published a commentary article on the 18th, saying that the Japanese government spent two months stubbornly lobbying other countries to “welcome” the discharge of nuclear sewage into the sea, but ultimately failed.
On the 16th, at the press conference after the G7 Climate and Energy Ministerial Meeting, Japan’s Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yasutoshi Nishimura said that substantial progress has been made in the dismantling of nuclear power plants, including the discharge of nuclear sewage into the sea, and that “Japan’s actions are based on scientific evidence. The transparent and open actions of the Chinese Communist Party are welcomed by all parties.” Hearing these words, German Environment Minister Steffi Lemke, next to West Village, immediately stated that Germany cannot welcome the discharge of nuclear sewage into the sea.
“The Hankyoreh” believes that the German side’s “blatant response” is extremely rare. Lemke would rather embarrass the atmosphere at the scene than say this because Nishimura’s statement is inconsistent with the joint statement after the G7 Climate and Energy Ministerial Meeting. When the joint statement mentioned the discharge of nuclear sewage into the sea, it only expressed “support for the International Atomic Energy Agency’s inspection of its safety”, not “welcome the discharge of nuclear sewage into the sea”. Nishimura had to explain after the press conference that his statement was wrong.
“Hankyoreh” stated that Japan, taking advantage of its presidency of the G7 summit in 2023, has been stubbornly trying to add the expression “welcome the discharge of nuclear sewage into the sea” in the statement. It is trying to break through the rising opposition public opinion in Japan’s neighboring countries and Japan, using the G7 as a “shield”. Japan painstakingly spent more than two months lobbying other countries, but ultimately failed. (Overseas Network/Wang Shanning)
(Editor in charge: Ma Changyan)