China has made significant progress on improving nuclear security, according to a government report.

The report, titled "National Progress Report on Nuclear Security of the People's Republic of China," [full text]?was issued during the Nuclear Security Summit, which is being held in the Republic of Korea's capital of Seoul from March 26 to 27.

The Chinese government has taken active measures to implement the suggestions made at the 2010 Washington Nuclear Security Summit and made significant progress in enhancing its national nuclear security, the report said.

The report said authorities have already finished assessing security systems at operational nuclear power plants all over the country. Since April 2010, China has cooperated with the IAEA, the United States and other countries in conducting 20 training courses and seminars for more than 500 nuclear security workers, the report said.

According to the report, China and the United States are jointly constructing a Center of Excellence on Nuclear Security in Beijing, with the International Atomic Energy Agency, Canada and several other countries consulting with China to participate in its construction.

"China will use the center to provide nuclear security training for other countries in the Asia-Pacific region," the report said.

Starting from September, 2010, China and the United States have worked together to convert Chinese miniature research reactors, allowing them to substitute high-enrichment uranium (HEU) fuel with low-enrichment uranium (LEU) fuel.

"China is willing to assist other countries in converting their research reactors by utilizing the expertise and experience gained through cooperation with the U.S.," the report said.

Before the Seoul Nuclear Security Summit, China and the United States will establish a radiation detection training center for Chinese customs officers in accordance with a January 2011 agreement.

The center is designed to provide training for customs officers from China and other countries in the Asia-Pacific region, the report said.

According to the report, China and the United States have jointly implemented a pilot program in Shanghai under the "Megaport Initiative," a program launched in 2011 for the purpose of detecting the illicit trafficking of nuclear material.

The report said China has created a number of laws and regulations to enhance security for radioactive storage facilities. In cooperation with the United States, China has upgraded security facilities for regional radioactive storage centers and centralized the storage of several dozen hazardous radioactive sources.

The report said China has developed new high-tech devices to detect explosives and radioactive substances inside of vehicles. The devices have been deployed at major international events, including the 2010 Shanghai World Expo and the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games, the report said.

The report said China has signed an agreement with the IAEA on nuclear security and that the two sides have jointly conducted a number of nuclear security training courses and seminars for about 100 specialists from more than ten Asian-Pacific countries.

The reports said China has actively participated in nuclear security workshops and exercises organized within the framework of the IAEA, the GICNT and INTERPOL with the intention of supporting international nuclear security efforts, learning from foreign experience and enhancing its domestic capabilities.

The first Nuclear Security Summit was held in Washington in 2010. The Seoul summit is aimed at reviewing the progress made on improving nuclear security around the globe since the last summit and calling for new action by the international community. President Hu Jintao, U.S. President Barack Obama and leaders from more than 50 countries will attend the Seoul summit.

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)