Chinese President Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron discussed common goals for nuclear power and the fight against climate change in bilateral talks held on 25 March during Xi’s three-day state visit to France. Macron’s statement specifically mentioned the long-awaited project for cooperation to build a plant to reprocess China’s spent nuclear fuel.
Macron said, “the dynamic” of the reprocessing project had accelerated in recent weeks. “We came to the moment of exchange on this point. We agreed to redouble our efforts for trade negotiations and the signing of the intergovernmental agreement can be completed promptly.”
A commitment to continuing cooperation in nuclear power as well as other strategic industries, including the aerospace and automotive, was reiterated by both leaders’ official statements.
Alongside Xi and Macron’s meeting, the chairman of China Nuclear Group, Yu Jianfeng, addressed a Sino-French Entrepreneurs Committee set up to discuss such strategic industries. Members of the select group comprised 15 top executive leaders from Bank of China, EDF, Framatome, and Orano. Yu also expressed Chinese and French support for the Paris agreement, noting that there is active use of nuclear energy to address global climate challenges.
NβN tip: The first fuel from Daya Bay is now 28 years old and suitable for reprocessing. A reprocessing plant constructed in the next few years would, therefore, have a ready program of work in good time to service the spent fuel from country’s 46 new reactors as well as the 11 currently under construction.
