Remarks at Seminar on 30th Anniversary of China's Accession to the IAEA

16 October 2014 | Beijing, China

Remarks at Seminar on 30th Anniversary of China's Accession to the IAEA

by IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano

Good afternoon, Ladies and Gentlemen.
It is a great pleasure for me to be here in Beijing. I congratulate China on 30 successful years as a Member State of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
I understand that the number 30 has a special significance in China, representing increased maturity or a true coming of age.
China has certainly made dramatic progress in the peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology in the past 30 years – and, of course, in its overall economic development.
China has also been a very active member of the IAEA, working closely with us in all areas of our activities.
China contributes extensively to the work of the Agency, for example by providing nuclear specialists to work at our headquarters in Vienna, or sending experts to take part in IAEA peer review missions.
These advise countries around the world on issues such as the operational safety of nuclear power plants, or the effectiveness of regulatory systems.
Your country has also benefited from using the full range of Agency services.
In 2010, for example, an IAEA-led team of senior international experts carried out a two-week review of the regulatory framework for nuclear safety in China.
The team made recommendations in a number of areas and identified many strengths. These included China’s extensive use of IAEA Safety Standards and – importantly – the high-level political commitment to nuclear safety.
This was the year before the Fukushima Daiichi accident, a time when nuclear safety was not very high on the priority list of world leaders.
The team’s findings reflected my own experience when I visited China that same year. A senior government minister told me: “Safety comes first.”
It was clear to me then that China took nuclear safety very seriously. This became even clearer after the Fukushima Daiichi accident in March 2011, when China responded prudently by suspending approvals of new nuclear plants and only renewing them after extensive safety reviews.
Since then, China has worked hard to continuously improve safety at nuclear power plants. The number of staff at the nuclear regulatory body has more than doubled and safety legislation is under review. The IAEA has been pleased to work closely with you in these and many other areas.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The use of nuclear power looks set to continue to grow throughout the world in the coming decades despite Fukushima Daiichi, although at a slower rate than before the accident.
The centre of growth will be here in Asia. There are 72 nuclear power reactors under construction in the world at the moment. Twenty-seven of them – that’s more than a third – are in China.
The Chinese authorities are committed to substantially increasing the role of nuclear power in the coming century. The aim is to fuel the growing economy, reduce dependence on fossil fuels and curb air pollution.
As far as the Fukushima Daiichi accident is concerned, I believe that its lasting legacy will be a much more intense focus on nuclear safety everywhere.
There is a broad realisation that we cannot ever afford to be complacent when using this powerful technology. Safety must always come first.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Through our technical cooperation programme, the IAEA helps Member States to use nuclear science and technology in areas such as energy, human health, food and agriculture, and water resource management.
China is a net contributor to the technical cooperation programme, but also benefits from many technical cooperation projects which are implemented here.
Current projects in China include building human resources for assessing external risks associated with high-temperature gas-cooled nuclear reactors, and ensuring the technical basis for the safe disposal of high level radioactive waste.
Increasingly, China is sharing its expertise in nuclear technology with developing countries. To take just one example, the Chinese government offers scholarships for students from developing countries to study nuclear-related subjects at Harbin Engineering University and other institutions.
This is very important. Nuclear science and technology can make a major contribution to development in the areas I mentioned – energy, health, food and agriculture and water.
This is a complex technology requiring high levels of skills and training if it is to be used properly. Demand for peaceful nuclear technology from developing countries is growing steadily and they have much to learn from experienced users such as China.
At the IAEA General Conference last month, I was very pleased when the Chinese Delegation pledged a generous donation to the renovation of the IAEA’s nuclear applications laboratories near Vienna.
Since 1962, these eight laboratories have been offering training to scientists in Member States; supporting research in human health, food and other areas; and providing analytical services to national laboratories.
When the initial modernisation is completed in 2017, the laboratories will be able to provide even better services to our Member States, especially in developing countries.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
A fast growing area of the IAEA’s work in the last few decades has been nuclear security. This involves ensuring that nuclear and other radioactive materials do not fall into the hands of terrorists and other criminals.
China has been a strong supporter from the start, contributing to our Nuclear Security Fund and playing an active part in practical efforts to improve security.
President Xi Jinping was among nearly 50 world leaders at the Nuclear Security Summit in The Hague in March this year. They expressed strong support for the central role of the IAEA in helping to strengthen the global nuclear security framework.
I am grateful for that support.
Later today, I look forward to visiting the site of the new Centre of Excellence in Nuclear Security.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Thirty years after joining the IAEA, China is at the forefront of technological innovation, which I believe is essential for the future of nuclear power.
China was one of the founding members of INPRO, the International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles. It is a leader in exciting areas such as fast reactors, and small and medium-sized reactors.
Chinese nuclear scientists and engineers do excellent work at IAEA headquarters in Vienna.
Our senior Chinese staff include Mr Dazhu Yang, Director of the Division for Africa in our Department of Technical Cooperation, who is here with me today. He helps countries in Africa to gain access to nuclear technology, which, as I mentioned, contributes a lot to their development.
Mr Qu Liang is responsible for nuclear techniques in food and agriculture and heads a special joint division of the IAEA and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the FAO.
I am grateful for their contributions as individuals, and the contributions of all of our Chinese staff, as well as for China’s steadfast support for the work of the IAEA.
I wish you every success with all of your activities in the peaceful uses of nuclear technology in the next 30 years and beyond.
And I am confident that our cooperation will continue to grow.
Thank you.