UPDATE - China warns of 'retreat' in relations with Japan

UPDATE - CHANGE HL, DECK, ADDED MORE DETAIL FROM OFFICIAL STATEMENTS

By Anadolu staff

ANKARA (AA) – China on Friday warned that relations with Japan are at a critical stage of where to go and if they do not advance, "they will retreat."

During his meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi on the sideline of ASEAN summit in Jakarta, China’s senior diplomat and chief foreign advisor Wang Yi said the two countries should be "mutual cooperation partners, not threats to each other."

Japan's positioning of China as the biggest strategic challenge and exaggerating China's "threat" is seriously inconsistent with the reality of China-Japan relations," Wang said, according to official statement in Chinese language, issued by Foreign Ministry.

Top Chinese and Japanese foreign affairs officials met on Friday in the Indonesian capital Jakarta as the two neighbors are at odds over Japan’s proposed plan to release treated radioactive water from the disaster-hit Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea.

The two top diplomats meeting held at odds over Japan’s proposed plan to release treated radioactive water from the disaster-hit Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea.

The meeting came after China urged ASEAN to oppose Japan's planned release of treated radioactive water from the disaster-hit Fukushima nuclear plant.

During the meeting Hayashi raised China opposition over release of water from Fukushima nuclear plant and accused Beijing dissemination "incorrect information," according to the agency.

He said that Tokyo is ready to communicate with Beijing and urged China to deal the matter "from a scientific standpoint."

Wang in response told Japanese top diplomat that the discharge of Japan's nuclear-contaminated water is related to the safety of the marine environment and human life and health.

"The nature of the nuclear polluted water produced by the nuclear accident is completely different from that produced by the normal operation of the nuclear power plant, so they cannot be compared," Wang said.

The two leaders on Thursday also participated in the ASEAN-plus-three talks involving Japan, China, and South Korea.

On Thursday, the Chinese Embassy in Japan also raised questions over the Japanese government setting around a $581 million fund to subsidize the fishing industry in Fukushima and called it "hush money."

“It must be pointed out that the Japanese side's move only compensates the affected domestic industries and ignores the safety and interests of its neighbors and the people of the Pacific Island countries,” said a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Japan, CGTN reported citing a Chinese Embassy’s statement.

"This will surely arouse stronger doubts and condemnation from the international community," it said.

However, Japan dismisses China's concerns, saying the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) concluded in a report released last Tuesday that Tokyo's plan "aligns with global safety standards and would have a negligible radiological impact on people and the environment."

- Wang meets EU senior official

Meanwhile, Wang also met with Josep Borrell Fontelles, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of European Commission on the sideline of ASEAN summit.

"Constructive and in-depth talk with Director Wang Yi on managing responsibly EU-China relations. I expressed EU expectations as to China's role to help ending Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and to provide humanitarian assistance," Fontelles tweeted.

"We also discussed on preserving stability and the status quo in the Taiwan Strait. Looking forward to holding soon Strategic Dialogue in Beijing and to deepening mutual engagement on common global challenges," he added.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid