Nuclear Safety in China

V. Co-building and Sharing Nuclear Safety

Human factors are the most important in effectively ensuring nuclear safety. China is committed to strengthening nuclear safety culture. It has established a public communication mechanism for nuclear safety that combines supervision by the central government, guidance by local governments, implementation by enterprises, and participation of the public. It regulates and guides the professional attitude and conduct, and encourages extensive public participation. It has created a positive atmosphere in which everyone shoulders responsibility, everyone participates, and the whole industry and society work together to safeguard nuclear safety.

Government guidance. Government departments give full play to the role of policy guidance and supervision, and promote an awareness of the paramount importance of nuclear safety, a sense of weighty responsibility, a rigorous and meticulous approach to regulation, and a spirit of collaboration for further progress. We should actively cultivate and develop a culture of nuclear safety, and through education, regulations, and positive influences, instill the core values of awareness of the rule of law, vigilance, self-discipline, and cooperation into the thoughts and actions of professionals, so as to fully mobilize and stimulate the positive role of human factors. We have issued the Policy Statement on Nuclear Safety Culture, carried out special actions to promote this culture, and established an assessment mechanism so that nuclear safety culture can be internalized in the mind, externalized into practice, and further transformed into conscious action by professionals. We have increased transparency in the operations of the government in accordance with the law, established a press spokesperson system and a mechanism of regular communication with the media, providing explanations on major nuclear safety policies, and promptly releasing information on licensing examination and approval, surveillance and law enforcement, the overall safety situation, radiation environment quality, and incidents and accidents, with the aim of enhancing the transparency of government work and protecting the public's right to know, to participate and to supervise.

Positive action by the industry. Nuclear-related enterprises, public institutions, research institutes, and trade associations have attached great importance to and actively cultivated nuclear safety culture, setting up special institutions, allocating full-time personnel, and exploring innovative new ideas. We have strengthened quality management, education and training, feedback on experience, evaluation, and improvement, and effectively integrated nuclear safety culture into production, operation, scientific research, and management. Some excellent safety concepts have been generated, such as "rules must be in place; lines of accountability be clear; verification be performed, and documentation be available to refer to", and "put nuclear issues first, cherish cooperation, and take peace and harmony as the foundation". We publicize important information in accordance with the law, including nuclear safety management rules and regulations, the safety status of nuclear facilities, radiation monitoring data on effluents and the environment around nuclear facilities, and annual nuclear safety reports, and actively respond to public concerns about nuclear energy and nuclear safety.

Extensive public participation. We organize and carry out various activities to popularize nuclear science, such as "National Security Education Day", "Public Open Day (Week)", "Nuclear Safety Culture on Campus and in the Community", and "Popularizing Science in China, Green Nuclear Energy". Through discussions, field experiences, media publicity and other channels, understanding of nuclear safety is enhanced throughout society. Based on the principles of equality, extensiveness and convenience, we have established a mechanism for broad public participation, and fully solicit opinions on major nuclear safety issues concerning the public interest in the form of questionnaires, hearings, seminars, and feasibility study meetings. We have provided extensive publicity and education on nuclear safety for the whole of society, set up science popularization networks and new media platforms, built national education bases to popularize nuclear science, and developed public publicity facilities and industrial tourism projects. We have included nuclear safety education into the training of officials and the education system for young people, and guided the public to understand, contribute to, and maintain nuclear safety.

VI. Building a Community of Shared Future for Nuclear Safety

The peaceful development and utilization of nuclear energy is the common aspiration of all countries, and ensuring nuclear safety is their shared responsibility. China advocates the development of an international nuclear safety system characterized by fairness, cooperation, and mutual benefit. It facilitates the global effort on nuclear safety governance through fair and pragmatic cooperation, works together with the rest of the world to build a community of shared future for global nuclear safety, and promotes the building of a community of shared future for humanity.

Faithfully fulfilling international obligations and political commitments. China has ratified all international legal instruments in the field of nuclear safety. It has strictly implemented UN Security Council resolutions and supported and participated in international initiatives on nuclear safety. It faithfully fulfills its duties as a signatory of the Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident, the Convention on Assistance in the Case of a Nuclear Accident or Radiological Emergency, the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, the Convention on Nuclear Safety, the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism, and the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management. China has actively participated in the formulation and implementation of the Vienna Declaration on Nuclear Safety, and Chinese representatives chaired the Fifth Review Meeting of the Contracting Parties (2011) and the Second Extraordinary Meeting of the Contracting Parties (2012) to the Convention on Nuclear Safety, contributing to global governance on nuclear safety.

Upholding multilateral efforts to strengthen nuclear safety. China upholds the central role of the International Atomic Energy Agency in international cooperation on nuclear safety, and has provided all-round support to the IAEA, including political, technical and financial support. China makes continuous contributions to the IAEA Nuclear Security Fund, with a view to enhancing the nuclear security capacity of countries in Asia. To strengthen international non-proliferation cooperation, China has joined the Zangger Committee, the Nuclear Suppliers Group, and other multilateral mechanisms and international organizations. It has enacted the Regulations on Nuclear Export Control and the Regulations on the Export Control of Dual-Use Nuclear Items and Technologies, and released the Nuclear Export Control List and the Export Control List of Dual-Use Nuclear Items and Technologies. China has expanded international cooperation in the fight against nuclear terrorism, and works closely with such international organizations and multilateral mechanisms as the International Criminal Police Organization, the Nuclear Security Contact Group, and the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism.

Strengthening international exchanges and cooperation on nuclear safety. China attaches great importance to nuclear safety policy exchanges and cooperation between countries. It maintains close contacts with France, the United States, Russia, Japan, the Republic of Korea and other countries, as well as emerging nuclear energy countries along the Belt and Road, and has signed more than 50 cooperation agreements on nuclear safety to facilitate all-round cooperation in exchange of high-level visits, communication between experts, review, consultation, and joint research. China and the United States have established an annual dialogue mechanism on nuclear safety, a Nuclear Security Center of Excellence, and the China Customs Radiation Detection Training Center. Chinese and Russian customs have held joint exercises to prevent illicit trafficking of nuclear and other radioactive materials. China, Japan and the ROK arrange meetings between regulators to share their experiences in nuclear safety regulation. China has strengthened exchanges and cooperation with the Nuclear Energy Agency of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the European Union, WANO, and other international organizations. It is an active participant in international peer reviews of nuclear safety directed to common progress against global standards. In order to expand participation in global cooperation platforms and enhance its nuclear safety capabilities, China continues to take part in activities under the frameworks of the Global Nuclear Safety and Security Network and the Asian Nuclear Safety Network.

China contributes its wisdom and strength to the world by promoting its nuclear safety regulatory system and sharing advanced technology, experience, resources, and platforms. It has taken part in the Multinational Design Evaluation Program for nuclear power plants, and a working group on the Hualong-1 has been established. Through its National Research and Development Center for Nuclear and Radiation Safety Regulation, China has continued to help developing countries to train nuclear safety personnel and carry out technical drills, lending support to their efforts to enhance their regulatory capacity and providing more public goods for improving global nuclear safety.

Conclusion

As Chinese socialism enters a new era, China's nuclear industry has reached a stage of safe and efficient development, ushering in a new phase of high-quality progress to ensure nuclear safety. Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, China will uphold a rational, coordinated and balanced nuclear safety strategy and fulfill its mission of maintaining and improving nuclear safety. It will reinforce its commitment to protecting public health and maintaining a safe environment, ensure the safe, sound and sustainable development of its nuclear industry with a people-centered approach, and promote economic prosperity to benefit the country and the people.

China will continue to enforce rigorous safety regulation over nuclear facilities, materials, and activities and radioactive substances. It will continue to modernize its nuclear safety regulatory system and capacity to effectively safeguard the country's nuclear safety and provide a strong guarantee for building a modern socialist country in all respects and realizing national rejuvenation.

China will continue to promote international cooperation in nuclear safety, assume the responsibility required of a major country, and fulfill its international obligations. It will strive for the establishment of an international nuclear safety system characterized by fairness, cooperation, and mutual benefit, raise global standards of nuclear safety, and promote the sharing of global achievements in the peaceful use of nuclear energy among the international community. It will safeguard regional and world peace and stability, and make positive contribution to building a community of shared future for humanity and a clean and beautiful world of lasting peace, universal security, common prosperity, openness, and inclusiveness.