Japan should accept int'l supervision on nuclear safety: spokesman

Japan should earnestly fulfill its nuclear safety responsibilities and put itself under international supervision to alleviate the concerns of the international community, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said at a press briefing in Beijing on Wednesday.

He made the remarks in response to a media query about leakage of water containing radioactive substances at the decommissioning site of the nuclear reactor Fugen in Fukui Prefecture in central Japan on Tuesday, raising the possibility that several workers may have been exposed to radiation.

"This incident has once again exposed serious flaws in Japan's nuclear facility operations, operational maintenance capabilities, and nuclear safety oversight. For some time now, a series of nuclear facility safety incidents in Japan have raised concern, including fraud of quality inspection data for radiation detectors at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant and an overflow accident involving spent fuel pool cooling water at the reprocessing plant in the village of Rokkasho, Aomori Prefecture. Against the backdrop of various problems such as aging nuclear facilities, chaotic management, and inadequate regulation, Japan has still decided to restart the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant, which previously experienced a spent fuel pool cooling water overflow incident. This has already sparked opposition and protests among the Japanese public," said Lin.

"China urges Japan to fully draw lessons from the Fukushima nuclear accident, earnestly fulfill its nuclear safety responsibilities, promptly provide information and take effective measures, properly handle the decommissioning of nuclear power plants and the disposal of radioactive waste, and voluntarily accept international oversight so as to reduce concerns in the international community. This incident further demonstrates that the international community needs to continue strengthening comprehensive oversight and monitoring of the management of Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water discharge into the sea and the operation of related equipment, in order to safeguard the safety of the marine environment," he said.

Japan should accept int'l supervision on nuclear safety: spokesman

Japan should accept int'l supervision on nuclear safety: spokesman

Giant panda cubs have been filmed enjoying their leisurely life in their enclosures, with one pair seen sharing a friendly hug while another trio were caught frolicking around at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in southwest China's Sichuan Province.

The two heartwarming scenes were captured at the base’s Star Giant Panda Nursery House and were recently released on the iPanda multimedia platform, which offers an up-close look at the daily lives and activities of the beloved pandas.

In one scene, two fluffy baby pandas are seen cozily embracing each other, with their interwoven black and white fur resembling a traditional Bagua diagram which is most commonly associated with Chinese feng shui.

In another clip, two more energetic panda cubs are seen messing around in the open space between some wooden logs in their enclosure. The pair appear to be engaged in a good-natured play-fight which sends one of them tumbling over, before a third panda arrives on the scene and muscles its way in on the act, creating a very lively atmosphere.

The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding is a world-renowned institution for the ex-situ conservation of giant pandas, scientific research and breeding, public education and tourism.

The base is famous for its work in protecting and breeding giant pandas, red pandas and other endangered wild animal species exclusive to China.

Giant panda cubs seen enjoying boisterous playtime