November 20, 2000

His Excellency Minister XXX, Colleagues and Friends,

I am greatly honored to be invited to visit the Republic of Korea, and am pleased to have the opportunity to make a brief introduction on the basic situation of China’s peaceful application of nuclear energy. I would also like to share with you my views on the cooperation of China and R.O.K. in this field.

Established in the mid 1950s, China’s nuclear industry has grown into an integrated industrial system, with peaceful application as the focus. The Qinshan NPP of 300 MW solely designed and constructed by China was connected to the grid for power generation in December 1991. The two units of 900 MW of Daya Bay NPP introduced from abroad in 1994 have been put into commercial operation. Both NPPs are in good operation. At present, China has 4 NPPs with 8 units and a total installed capacity of 6600 MW under construction, including the two PWRs of 600 MW of Qinshan Phase II started in June 1996, the two PWRs of 700 MW of Lingao NPP started in May 1997, and the two HWRs of 700 MW of Qinshan Phase III started in June 1998. All these three projects will be put into operation in 2003. The construction of the two PWRs of 1000 MW of Tianwan NPP began in October 1999 and will be accomplished in 2005.

China also carried out the research and development of the advanced PWR featured by non-active safety. The experimental high temperature gas cooled reactor of 10Mwt is going to reach criticality. The low temperature nuclear heating demonstrative reactor is now in safe and stable operation.

China has achieved significant progress in the application of nuclear technology in industry, agriculture and medicine. The 1990s, in particular, witnessed the rapid growth of the number of electron accelerators for industrial and clinical uses, and the wide application of industrial cobalt sources. Isotope and radiation technology are growing into a hi-tech industry, and infiltrating into the edge of modern sciences technologies and new fields (such as life sciences and material sciences) from the traditional application fields, thereby constituting a new economic growth point.

As to the application for medicine, there are more than 40 entities in China engaged in developing and producing more than 100 kinds of radioactive pharmaceuticals which are used in more than 2000 hospitals. In industrial application, China has over 120 g-source appliances, about 50 electron accelerators with a capacity of more than 5 Kw, which are used in producing thermal shrinkage materials, electric wire and cable, as well as desulfurization and denitrification of flue gas. Some research and development institutes also boast 8 industrial accelerators of less than 5 Kw used for the scientific studies on ***. The government also gives priority to the development of irradiation high-polymer materials. China ranks among the top of the world in term of the volume of irradiation-treated food, and has made breakthrough in sterilization by irradiation. The major field of nuclear technology application in agriculture is the irradiation mutant breeding. The isotope tracing technology, which is used to guide farming, has made tremendous contribution to food production increase of the country for years. There are more than 400 flaw detection appliances for industrial uses in operation in China, and the detection system for large containers has been put into use and made important contribution to striking smuggling and crimes.

China pays much attention to nuclear safety, and has made huge input of manpower and budget to various sectors of nuclear safety. An integrated and comprehensive system of nuclear safety laws and regulations has taken shape. At the same time, emphasis was given to improving nuclear safety awareness and promoting the nuclear safety culture level comprehensively.

Ever since October 1994 when the Agreement of Cooperation on Peaceful Application of Nuclear Energy was signed between the governments of P.R.C. and R.O.K., the two parties have made good cooperation and exchange in nuclear energy. Qinshan NPP Phase II and Phase III have established sister relations with Woochen NPP and * NPP respectively. Korea also provided Qinshan Phase III with equipment like steam generator and services including technology consultancy and personnel training. KAERI and KINS also launched nuclear engineering and safety projects in cooperation with relevant Chinese institutes. Korea Atomic Energy Industry Association has invited high-level Chinese delegations to its annual conferences. Officials form the Ministry of Industries and Resources and Ministry of Science and Technology of Korea paid many visits to COSTIND to exchange views and proposed to “cooperate with China in nuclear power localization and nuclear power equipment manufacturing” and “sign MOU between departments within the framework of the Agreement to promote bilateral nuclear energy cooperation and exchange”. The Arrangements on Cooperation in Peaceful Application of Nuclear Energy between CAEA and MOST of Korea signed by Chairman Zhang Huazhu and Minister XXX on October 15, 1999 in Beijing, enables the bilateral cooperation in this field to move deeper and further.

At the turn of the century, the Chinese Government is formulating the plan of peaceful application of nuclear energy facing the 21st Century. China’s rapid economic development imposes increasing demands on energy. In energy construction, China will utilize its resource advantages, optimizing energy structure, increase the operating factor and strengthen environmental protection so as to achieve sustainable development. As a safe and clean energy, nuclear power will get appropriate development, and play its role in the energy construction in the future to realize the harmonious development of electricity industry, resources and environment. In the past 2-3 decades, a fairly solid foundation was laid down for China’s nuclear power. We will learn from the experience and lessons of the past, as well as the success stories of other countries in nuclear power localization. Korea is quite successful in localization and forming its own industry of nuclear power, which may serve as good reference to us.

China’s basic idea of developing nuclear power is as follows: the nuclear power development during the first decade of the new century will follow the guiding principle of “cooperating with foreign countries with China playing the major role, introducing technology and promoting localization” with emphasis on safety, economic factor, reliability and maturity. We will cooperate with foreign partners in various forms on the present basis, and adopt reliable and mature technology with focus on developing PWR technology. The self-reliance on design, manufacturing, construction and operation of our nuclear power industry will be gradually realized through proper development. The objective of localization will be achieved on the basis of mature and reliable technology. At the same time, we are also making efforts to develop the advanced NPP technology of the next generation, and carry out technical research on fast neutron reactor and controlled fusion reactor, in light of the longer-term targets of development.

Positive efforts will be made to promote the application and industrialization of nuclear technology. The application of isotope in nuclear medicine and life sciences will be promoted, and new kinds of radioactive medicine and digital diagnostic equipment for modern molecule nuclear clinics will be developed. The application field and variety of RA kit will be expanded and output increased. Efforts will also be made to expand the agricultural by-products radiation processing capacity, widen the application of irradiated cross-link thermal shrinkage products, wire and cable in other industrial fields and promote the industrialization of treating “waste solid, waste water and waste gas” by radiation.

China will further the R&D work in every aspect of the basic studies of nuclear science including nuclear physics, nuclear chemistry and radiation chemistry, controlled nuclear fusion, ion physics, reactor physics, *accelerator technology, advanced nuclear detection and analysis, nuclear safety and radiation protection, etc.

In the 21st Century when the whole world will face the coming of a knowledge economy, the application of nuclear technology will make more contribution to economic development and social progress, and the Sino-Korean Cooperation in peaceful application of nuclear technology will have a broad prospect. We shall not only maintain and develop our cooperation in nuclear power, but also expand the cooperation in exploring new fields of nuclear technology application. We will strengthen personnel exchange and cooperation. Our cooperation in fields of common interest identified through such exchange will surely promote the common development of the two economies.