On September 3, the State Council Information Office issued a white paper on China’s Nuclear Safety and held a press conference. Liu Hua, deputy director of Ministry of Ecology and Environment and director of National Nuclear Safety Administration, said that the white paper is the first comprehensive nuclear safety related white book published by Chinese Authorities, which introduces the development history of China’s nuclear safety cause, basic principles and policies of nuclear safety, regulatory concepts and practical experience, and clarifies China’s determination and actions to strengthen international cooperation in nuclear safety and promote the nuclear security community.
According to the white paper, as of June 2019, China has operated 47 nuclear power units, ranking third in the world; 11 nuclear power units under construction, ranking first in the world. China has maintained a good nuclear safety record for a long time.
Not long ago, China Energy Administration announced the newly approved nuclear power projects by the State Council. In the coming months, Fujian Zhangzhou Nuclear Power Project and Huizhou Taipingling Nuclear Power Project will be officially started construction after passing the security review.
Liu Hua stressed that in the site selection stage and before construction, it is necessary to strengthen knowledge dissemination, and improve public participation, and ensure the public’s right to supervise. At the same time, in the operation of nuclear facilities, the safety status of nuclear facilities should be disclosed in a timely manner. It is necessary to strengthen popular science propaganda. At the same time, we must improve the mechanism of interest compensation, and improve the compensation mechanism for the residents around the nuclear facilities through various policies such as taxation, finance, and land subsidies.
China actively promotes international nuclear security cooperation and establishes an international cooperation system for nuclear safety. China has successively acceded to the International Atomic Energy Agency and all international conventions on nuclear safety of the United Nations, and fulfills its obligations under international conventions.
China supports the work of International Atomic Energy Agency, and actively participated in exchanges and cooperation, and established close ties with the United States, France, Russia and other emerging countries under “One Belt, One Road” framework. It has signed more than 50 nuclear safety cooperation agreements, plus various expert exchanges and high-level visits.
