Foreign and Military Affairs

China active in nuclear safety co-op: diplomat

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-09-15 09:37

VIENNA - China is willing to increase cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and its member states in nuclear safety, to ensure safe and reliable construction and operation of all nuclear power plants, a Chinese diplomat said Tuesday.

Hu Xiaodi, China's permanent representative and ambassador to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Vienna, made the comments during an afternoon session of the IAEA directors' meeting on nuclear safety.

China, which holds on to the basic principle of "Safety First, Quality First," is actively and quickly developing nuclear power plants, he said.

To constantly strengthen and improve its nuclear safety supervisory system and to insure the safe, reliable and ordered development of Chinese nuclear power usage, China has embarked on the aspects of supervisory regulations on nuclear safety, construction of supervisory institutes and personnel and supervisory technical capability building, Hu added.

The Chinese government appreciated the continuous efforts made by the IAEA to improve the global nuclear safety regime and to enhance global nuclear safety level and encouraged the agency to continue to play an active role in the future, he went on.

The Chinese diplomat also said nuclear safety is an important guarantee for sustainable development of nuclear power and nuclear technology.

China is willing to support and participate in all activities led by the IAEA in the field of nuclear safety and China will also continuously improve its level of nuclear safety, according to him.

Hu also said China's preparatory work for the fifth review meeting of the Convention on Nuclear Safety is in full swing.