Japan asks China to urge citizens to halt harassment after start of Fukushima wastewater release

abcnews.go.com:

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has asked China to urge its citizens to halt acts of harassment, including crank calls and stone throwing at Japanese diplomatic facilities and schools, in response to Japan's release of treated radioactive wastewa...

TOKYO — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida asked China on Monday to urge its citizens to halt acts of harassment, including crank calls and stone throwing at Japanese diplomatic facilities and schools, in response to Japan's release of treated radioactive wastewater from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant.

“I must say it is regrettable,” Kishida said.

He said Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Masataka Okano summoned China's ambassador, Wu Jianghao, to ask that Chinese people act calmly and responsibly.

The release of the treated wastewater into the ocean, which began Thursday and is expected to continue for decades, has been strongly opposed by fishing groups and by neighboring countries. China immediately banned all imports of Japanese seafood in response. In South Korea, thousands of people joined rallies over the weekend to condemn the discharge.

Acts of harassment including crank phone calls and stone throwing have targeted Japan's embassy and consulates and Japanese schools in China, while China's government has not responded to requests from Japan for a joint scientific discussion of the release by experts, Kishida said. He said the Japanese plan is seen by many countries as scientific and transparent.

Japanese public broadcaster NHK said thousands of crank calls from China have targeted Fukushima government offices and the nuclear plant's operator. It said many of the callers shouted in Chinese, and some yelled “stupid” and other swear words.

Japan's