China has criticized Japan’s plan to discharge contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the ocean, asking, “Why not use it in your own lakes?

“If the contaminated water is safe, why doesn’t Japan use it for itself,” a Chinese delegate said at the 76th session of the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland안전놀이터, on Nov. 27, according to Chinese media outlets including Xinhua.

“Why doesn’t it use it for agricultural or industrial purposes, why doesn’t it discharge it into domestic lakes,” he said, adding, “Japan should give a responsible explanation for this.”

“Is discharging polluted water into the ocean the only viable option?” he asked, adding that “it saves money, but it’s a disaster for the whole world.”

“We once again call on Japan to fulfill its international obligations, negotiate fully with stakeholders and international organizations, including its neighbors, and dispose of the contaminated water in the safest and most appropriate manner and subject it to strict international supervision.”