IAEA ready to partner with China, top official says

Hailing the "significant progress" China has made in nuclear development, a senior communication official of the International Atomic Energy Agency said that she looks forward to deepening collaboration with the country, as this year marks the 40th anniversary of China's accession to the international organization.

Sophie Boutaud de la Combe, director of the Office of Public Information and Communication of the IAEA, made the remarks during an international media tour in late August. The tour, themed Atoms for Better Home, was launched by the China Atomic Energy Authority's news office during her visit.

Boutaud de la Combe said the IAEA highly values its partnership with the CAEA and looks forward to deepening its collaboration and exploring the future directions together.

"Through its extraordinary economic growth and advance in knowledge, technology and expertise, China has become a key supporter of the agency financially, politically and through our collaborations," she said.

China's decades of experience in innovative collaboration is a solid foundation to build on for the agency and for its other member states, the director said while lauding Chinese experts who are sharing their knowledge with other countries through IAEA capacity-building programs.

The cooperation between the IAEA and China has been multifaceted, covering areas such as nuclear energy, nuclear safety and security, nuclear technology applications and nonproliferation, she said, adding that many important projects promoted by the CAEA and IAEA have achieved remarkable results.

"These achievements are not only crucial for China's development, but also have far-reaching impact on the peaceful use of nuclear energy globally," Boutaud de la Combe said. "Therefore, I look forward to learning more about China's progress in those areas and exploring how to leverage and promote those successful experiences through the partnership with the CAEA news center."

During her visit to China, the IAEA official toured the Chinese mainland's first nuclear power site in Qinshan in East China, the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant in South China and two IAEA collaboration centers — one at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and the other at Sun Yat-sen University — to learn about the applications and innovations in China's nuclear sector.

In June, Liu Jing, deputy director of the CAEA, delivered a speech at an IAEA board of governors meeting in Vienna, Austria, according to the official website of the Permanent Mission of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Vienna.

Liu said that China places great importance on the critical role of nuclear energy in global sustainable development, noting that the country viewed nuclear energy as a key option for building a new type of energy system and achieving carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals.

So far, the Chinese mainland has 57 nuclear power units in operation and 36 nuclear power units approved or under construction, he said.

On Aug 19, the State Council, China's Cabinet, approved five nuclear power projects, including 11 nuclear power units.

Boutaud de la Combe said China's nuclear development is avoiding "tons of carbon emissions and air pollution" and is creating a conducive environmentally and biodiversity-friendly source of energy for the people of China and the nation's industrial development.

In addition, she praised China's efforts to help other countries achieve their energy goals by building their own nuclear industries and power plants quickly and safely.

"This is showing the world that it's possible to build nuclear power plants quickly and with integrated cost," she said.

Speaking in Vienna, Liu stressed that China attaches great importance to nuclear safety and security, enhancing the operational safety and construction quality of nuclear power plants, improving the security of nuclear facilities and materials and bolstering national nuclear counterterrorism capabilities.

Over the past 40 years, China has actively supported various initiatives of the IAEA through concrete actions, providing support and assistance to developing countries in need, he said.

Liu emphasized that in the face of severe development and security challenges worldwide, China is willing to work together with the IAEA and all parties to promote the innovative development of nuclear energy technologies, ensuring that the benefits of nuclear energy development reach more countries.

jiangchenglong@chinadaily.com.cn