China asks Japan to give timely information on radiation leaks

"China views the radioactive leaks from Japan’s nuclear power plant in Fukushima as a global issue and attaches great importance to the accident," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu told a press conference here.

A search and rescue team from the Tokyo Fire Department moves through the rubble in the devastated city of Kesennuma, northeastern Japan, after the March 11 earthquake and resulting tsunami that hit the country's northeast coast. Photo: AP.

As its citizens got increasingly anxious of radiation threats from Japan’s troubled Fukushima nuclear plant, China today asked Tokyo to provide “timely, accurate and comprehensive” information about radioactive leaks.

“China views the radioactive leaks from Japan’s nuclear power plant in Fukushima as a global issue and attaches great importance to the accident,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu told a press conference here.

The “timely, accurate and comprehensive” information would be important for relevant countries in assessing the situation, she said.

In view of the gravity and uncertainty of the situation, China’s General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine has requested regional agencies to regularly conduct port surveillance, including testing foods imported from Japan to ensure food safety, Ms. Jiang said.

The National Nuclear Emergency Coordination Committee has also instructed relevant departments to continuously monitor radiation levels in China’s terrestrial areas and the water off the Chinese coast.

“These tests have not yet found any abnormal conditions,” Ms. Jiang said.

She said that China had full—fledged emergency plans for nuclear accidents, and would respond according to these plans should the situation further develop.

Rumours of radiation entering the Chinese coast and atmosphere made people all over China to stock up large quantities of iodised salt. As a result, salt disappeared from shelves of markets all over China.

Chinese police arrested one person and launched prosecution proceedings against two for creating rumours through internet.