About half of Chinese respondents to a recent survey expressed concern about the release of treated radioactive water from Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea, according to the results released Tuesday, amid a row between the two Asian neighbors over the issue. The Communist-led Chinese government opposes the water release, saying it will cause adverse effects on human health and the environment, and has imposed a blanket ban on Japanese seafood imports. As for Japan, where valid responses were collected from 1,000 people from Sept. 2 to 24, 33.2 percent of respondents voiced concerns over the water release, while 37.3 percent were not worried or not very worried. Regarding Japanese public perceptions of China, 92.2 percent said they were "unfavorable," worsening from 87.3 percent a year earlier. Among Chinese respondents, 62.9 percent had a negative impression of Japan, slightly up from the previous year's 62.6 percent.

Source: The Times October 11, 2023 15:15 UTC