BEIJING (Kyodo) -- China's top diplomat Wang Yi urged Japan on Tuesday to "earnestly fulfill its international obligations and responsibilities" over the discharge of treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the sea.

At a symposium summing up China's foreign relations in 2024, Wang stressed China and Japan have confirmed that the two countries will promote a "strategic and mutually beneficial relationship" as well as "constructive and stable" ties. He also said Beijing has recently begun to conduct independent sampling and monitoring of the treated water in accordance with a bilateral accord.

China has said that after confirming the safety of the water in sampling tests, it will gradually ease the import ban that it imposed in August 2023 immediately after the release began. Beijing introduced the blanket ban, calling the released water "nuclear-contaminated."

Wang also pointed out 2025 will mark the 80th anniversary of "the victory of the Chinese people's war of resistance against Japanese aggression and the world anti-fascist war" and that Beijing will promote "a correct historical perspective," in a veiled warning against Japan.

As for Sino-U.S. relations, the top diplomat said Beijing is "ready to maintain dialogue" with Washington, manage differences, expand cooperation and "jointly explore the right way for the two major countries to get along," so as to benefit both nations and the world.

With tensions expected to increase between the world's two largest economies following U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's vow to increase import tariffs on all Chinese goods, Wang also expressed China's eagerness to boost ties with Europe and the "Global South" developing and emerging nations.