FM: Japan should win domestic trust on nuclear power

Japan should win the trust of their people and reassure neighboring countries on the development of nuclear energy, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said Tuesday. Qin made the comment in response to reports of a rally demanding an end to nuclear power, attended by thousands of people in Tokyo on Sunday, ahead of the third anniversary of the Fukushima disaster. An earthquake and tsunami in March 2011 crippled the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant and led to world's most serious nuclear disaster since Chernobyl in 1986. Almost all Japanese nuclear reactors were put offline after the disaster "We think it is reasonable that Japanese people ask the government for a thorough investigation of the Fukushima nuclear disaster and attain zero nuclear status, for their own safety," Qin said at a daily news briefing. Qin said nuclear power plants can benefit people only if used safely, and urged the Japanese government to listen to all sides, thoroughly investigate the accident, clearly explain the causes of the accident and describe the solutions in place to prevent any recurrence. Asked to comment on Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's attempt to restart nuclear power plants, Qin questioned the Japanese government's motives. "Will this worsen the existing situation of imbalance in the supply and demand of nuclear materials? If so, what's the reason for doing it?" Japan has an excessive amount of sensitive nuclear material, including weapons grade uranium and plutonium, far beyond its actual needs. Only when the demand and supply of nuclear materials are balanced can peaceful use of nuclear power be achieved, Qin said. He called on the Japanese government to take a responsible attitude,face up to the doubts and concerns of international communities, and illustrate their solutions. Only if the Japanese government to take a responsible attitude can nuclear safety problems be eliminated and nuclear proliferation avoided, the spokesman added. The United States gave 331 kilograms of weapons-grade plutonium to Japan during the Cold War, Japan's Kyodo News Agency reported in late January. Japan holds another 44 tonnes of plutonium, which could be used for nuclear reactors. The United States has been pressing Japan to return the material since the first nuclear security summit in 2010. The two sides are expected to reach an agreement at the third summit in the Netherlands this March.