People rally to protest against the Japanese government's decision to discharge contaminated radioactive wastewater in Fukushima Prefecture into the sea, in Tokyo, capital of Japan, April 13, 2021. (Xinhua/Du Xiaoyi)

IAEA chief called for "transparency" in dealing with global concerns over Japan's nuclear wastewater disposal plan. "What we need to do is to make sure that when this starts to be released, there will be no harm to the environment, no harm whatsoever," he said.

VIENNA, April 14  -- As Japan's decision to discharge nuclear wastewater into the Pacific Ocean sparked an international backlash, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief said Wednesday that he took these concerns "seriously" and called for "transparency."

"The way to deal with these concerns, for me ... it's very simple. It has one name: transparency," Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of the IAEA, told Xinhua in an interview here on Wednesday.

Grossi stressed that when the wastewater is released, it should cause no harm to the environment.

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said on Tuesday that his government has decided to discharge contaminated radioactive wastewater in Fukushima Prefecture into the Pacific Ocean amid domestic and international opposition.

On Wednesday, China strongly urged Japan to reconsider its decision on the disposal of nuclear waste. The international community including the Republic of Korea (ROK), Russia and the European Commission had expressed deep concerns over the issue.