China has rejected Japan's proposal that it join an international verification framework for assessing the results of radiation level monitoring in treated water being released into the sea from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant, sources familiar with the bilateral relationship says..
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China has rejected Japan's proposal that it join an international verification framework for assessing the results of radiation level monitoring in treated water being released into the sea from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant, sources familiar with the bilateral relationship said Tuesday.
China is staunchly opposed to the ocean discharge and has banned all seafood imports from Japan since it began in late August, calling the water "nuclear-contaminated."
Beijing has also ignored Tokyo's repeated proposals for a science-based dialogue involving experts on the matter, Japanese officials said.
Under the framework, participating countries will compare, analyze and evaluate the results of the monitoring carried out respectively by the Japanese government and the International Atomic Energy Agency on seawater off Fukushima Prefecture, northeastern Japan.
In order to guarantee the objectivity of international evaluations, Japan does not participate in the framework.
The research institutions participating in the framework are selected by an entity related to the IAEA. It currently involves institutions from the United States, France, Switzerland and South Korea.
Since early this year, Tokyo has repeatedly asked Beijing through diplomatic channels to participate in the monitoring efforts, but has had its requests rejected by China under the argument that the framework "does not guarantee" independent analysis of the released water, the sources said.
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