Canberra, Australia – An Chinese official says the country's rapid construction plans for nuclear generators will be affected by the Japanese radiation contamination crisis, but that atomic power will be an essential supplier of the nation's burgeoning energy needs in the future.

Chinese climate change envoy Xie Zhenhua told reporters in the Australian capital, Canberra, on Wednesday that China's nuclear power rollout is under review in response to the unfolding emergency at Japan's crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi power plant, which is leaking radiation following this month's massive earthquake and tsunami.

Xie said that "this accident will have some impact on the development of nuclear power not only in China, but also the rest of the world."

"I think that the nuclear development plan of China will be affected to a certain extent," he added.

Xie said geological surveys were under way in China to ensure that the proposed locations of future nuclear plants were safe from earthquakes.

Plant management and monitoring safety standards were also under review, he said. "We have to ensure 100 percent safety of these nuclear power plants," Xie said.

But alternatives to nuclear energy such as building more hydroelectric dams also carry problems, including ecological damage, difficulties in relocating populations whose communities would be flooded and cost, he said.

China now has 13 nuclear reactors in operation, along the eastern and southern coasts. To meet the energy demand, it is also considering building several inland nuclear power plants in provinces such as Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, and Jilin, in addition to the municipality of Chongqing.

China will take the events in Japan into account when formulating its five-year energy development plan, Xie said on March 14. The State Council has halted the approval of nuclear projects on March 16.