ISTANBUL

China has collected and brought home marine biological samples from discharge facilities at the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan, state media reported on Thursday.

The samples have “recently arrived in China. Research institutions in China are conducting rigorous and independent testing and analysis, and will promptly publish the relevant results,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told reporters in Beijing.

Beijing’s statement came in the wake of a trip to Japan by experts, led by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), who collected samples from the nearby waters around the plant.

The sampling and scientific investigation were prompted by Japan’s decision to release treated nuclear water into seas, triggering opposition from China and neighboring nations.

IAEA Chief Rafael Grossi led the experts from China, South Korea, and Switzerland on Wednesday, who collected seawater samples near the Fukushima Daiichi plant.

“Samples will be independently analyzed by IAEA, as well as labs in Japan… (and) participating countries,” the agency said.

Beijing imposed a blanket ban on Japanese seafood imports after Tokyo began releasing treated radioactive water into the sea in August 2023.

However, China's Atomic Energy Authority last month said its tests of seawater samples collected near the plant found no negative impact on marine species.