Japanese foreign minister Yoshimasa Hayashi is reportedly arranging separate bilateral talks with his South Korean and Chinese counterparts on the sidelines of upcoming gatherings of Association of Southeast Asian Nations(ASEAN) in Indonesia.

According to Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun daily on Wednesday, Hayashi is arranging separate talks with South Korean foreign minister Park Jin and Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang on the margins of the ASEAN Regional Forum set for next Thursday and Friday in Jakarta.

In the meetings, Hayashi will reportedly explain Japan’s plan to discharge contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant based on the conclusion in the final report by the International Atomic Energy Agency that international safety standards are satisfied.

The meetings appear to be aimed at securing understanding of the imminent discharge from South Korea and China, which are voicing opposition to the release.

Chinese Ambassador to Japan Wu Jianghao on Tuesday urged Tokyo to withdraw its plan to discharge the water, saying that the release of water contaminated by a nuclear accident into the sea is unprecedented.

Last week, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida ordered the government to provide explanations on the discharge at home and abroad.