Since the commencement of the treated radioactive water release from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea in late August, an unsettling surge of over 400,000 nuisance calls has flooded the Japanese embassy in Beijing.
This disturbing influx of harassing calls appears to be fuelled by an escalating anti-Japan sentiment in China, whether born out of a concerning lack of scientific understanding regarding the nature of the discharged water or, in some cases, driven by a deliberate malicious intent to disparage Japan.
On Aug. 25, a mere day after the ocean discharge began, the daily influx of harassing calls peaked at more than 40,000, persisting at around 10,000 in recent days.
The Japanese government has pleaded with China to address the issue, emphasizing the obstruction these calls cause to the embassy’s operations, yet the situation remains unresolved.
China’s stance opposing Japan’s ocean discharge is based on calling the water “nuclear-contaminated,” demanding an immediate halt without substantial scientific backing.