Public outrage mounts across China over Japan's nuclear wastewater

Japan’s release of treated radioactive wastewater into the sea has sparked outrage across China, triggering a ban on imports and pushing consumers to vent their anger. Some have even started hoarding salt. 

Tokyo’s move prompted swift retaliation from Chinese authorities, who banned all Japanese seafood imports starting Thursday. The announcement was met with broad support from the Chinese public, and also triggered anger among some over what’s seen as “selfish” behaviour by the Japanese government.

A piano teacher with the surname Li vented her anger on the WeChat messaging app, saying Japan’s move will hurt everyone. “They’ll get their just deserts,” she said. “How long do they expect to live if they don’t protect the environment?”

The Chinese government has led criticism of Tokyo’s plan to release treated water from the ruined Fukushima nuclear plant, saying the ocean isn’t Japan’s private sewer. The reaction from consumers reflects public worries as well, even though the International Atomic Energy Agency said the move is in line with global safety standards and would have a negligible impact on people and the environment.

Some consumers rushed to stock up on salt due to concern the water discharge would affect the safety and future availability of the condiment. This is reminiscent of an episode in 2011 after the Fukushima nuclear disaster, when Chinese shoppers cleared shelves on speculation iodised salt can help ward off radiation poisoning.

Alibaba’s Hema Fresh, a popular grocery app, sold out of salt on Thursday. Sales on Dingdong, a main e-commerce platform in China, soared over the last two days and the company was also out of stock by Thursday evening. Dingdong said it intends to increase the supply of alternative condiments like mineral salt and soy sauce to meet demand.