Dear Co-President and colleagues,

The title of my report today is "China's practices in establishing and maintaining a physical protection system for nuclear materials and facilities". There are three parts in this report.

1. China's Policy on Nuclear Energy Development 

While always putting safety and security first, China strives to develop nuclear energy actively and in an orderly manner, in order to improve its energy structure and address the challenges of climate change. As of the end of 2021, there were 53 NPP units in operation in the Chinese mainland, with a total installed capacity of 54 million kilowatts, and 18 NPP units under construction, with an installed capacity of 20 million kilowatts. China is the country with the fastest developing nuclear energy sector and the largest scale of NPPs under construction. China has the capacity in the whole nuclear industrial chain in a coordinated way, including uranium resources exploration and mining, fuel fabrication, reprocessing and radioactive waste treatment and disposal.

2. China's Nuclear Security Concepts and Practice

China upholds a holistic approach to national security and practices a rational, coordinated and balanced approach to nuclear security. China has always given priority to nuclear security in its efforts of peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Over the past 60 years of nuclear energy development, China has maintained a good nuclear security record, with strict management of nuclear materials and facilities.

2.1 National measures to fulfil obligations under article II of the amended Convention

China attaches great importance to its national responsibility for nuclear security. It has established a nuclear security regulatory system and a regulatory framework that are commensurate with the development of its nuclear industry. China has formulated a medium- and long-term nuclear security development plan, to ensure that relevant work receives the appropriate level of investment and support. As early as 1989, when China acceded to the Convention, it promulgated and implemented the Regulations on the Control of Nuclear Materials and its implementing rules and established a national physical protection system. Since 2015, China also promulgated and implemented the National Security Law, the Anti-Terrorism Law, and the Nuclear Safety Law, further strengthening its national responsibilities in terms of nuclear security of nuclear materials and facilities, combating nuclear-related crimes, and responding to the threat of nuclear terrorism.

China has established a system and regulatory framework, consisting of laws, administrative regulations, departmental regulations and standard guidelines, and has set up a national nuclear security coordination mechanism to coordinate relevant departments to promote related work. In accordance with the provisions of the Amendment to the Convention and the requirements of INFCIRC/225 of the Agency, China has implemented a licensing system for nuclear materials, and entities holding nuclear materials up to a limit must apply for a license, establish a nuclear material accounting and control system, and set up a physical protection system that corresponds to the level of protection of the nuclear materials.

China has established a coordinated cross-departmental nuclear security regulatory and enforcement mechanism. China Atomic Energy Authority is responsible for implementing national nuclear material control, reviewing and issuing licenses, establishing and inspecting the national nuclear material accounting system, drafting nuclear material control regulations, reviewing the design of physical protection systems for nuclear facilities, organizing the completion and acceptance of physical protection systems, imposing penalties for unauthorized possession of nuclear materials, as well as being responsible for international cooperation and compliance related to nuclear security. The Ministry of Public Security is responsible for provide security guard guidance to the entities holding nuclear material, supervising the physical protection of nuclear material transported by road, investigating and handling cases of crimes involving nuclear material, and participating in international cooperation and international compliance activities related to nuclear security. The National Nuclear Safety Administration is responsible for safety regulation of civilian nuclear materials and nuclear facilities. The General Administration of Customs of China is responsible for customs clearance and inspection at ports of entry and investigates and seizes smuggled nuclear materials and other radioactive substances.

China has continued to strengthen government regulatory capacity building for nuclear security, and established government regulatory and technical support centres such as the State Nuclear Security Technology Center, the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Center, and the Customs Radiation Detection Training Center. China has also set up a nuclear materials control inspection system, and conducted routine and non-routine on-site regulatory inspections of nuclear material licensees. China conducts full process supervision of the design, construction, and operation of physical protection systems for nuclear facilities and the production, transportation, storage, and use of nuclear materials. China has adopted strict nuclear security control measures for ports, borders, transportation hubs and major public events. With these measures, we have ensured a tight and sustainable line of defense for nuclear security.

China requires nuclear material licensees to take full responsibility for the security of nuclear materials in their possession right up until the legal transfer of responsibility for nuclear material security. A special nuclear materials management institution must be set up, as well as a nuclear material accounting system and analysis and measurement system in order to ensure a sound nuclear materials balance. Strict security systems for the production, use, storage and disposal of nuclear materials must be established, so as to take reliable security measures to prevent theft, sabotage, fire and other accidents, and secure sensitive information and documents related to the physical protection of nuclear materials and nuclear facilities.

China strives to foster and develop a nuclear security culture, and has established institutions to develop a strong culture of nuclear security, including in terms of government management, enterprise self-regulation and public participation. Government departments play a guiding and supervisory role, formulate guidelines, norms and standards for developing a sound nuclear security culture, so as to improve nuclear security culture management and evaluation mechanisms. Nuclear facility operators continuously improve their own systems, carry out internal nuclear security culture awareness raising and self-assessment activities, and promote the effective implementation of systems and measures related to the physical protection of nuclear materials and nuclear facilities. By organizing training and dissemination of nuclear security culture and experience exchanges, nuclear security knowledge is popularized across the whole industry, and nuclear security awareness is enhanced to create a favorable atmosphere for the safe development of nuclear energy business.

China has established a mechanism for the maintenance, review and evaluation of design basis threats. Nuclear material licensees must design, construct, operate, maintain and evaluate physical protection systems in accordance with the design basis threat document reviewed and approved by the competent authorities, and they must conduct regular reviews of threats and assess the impact of threat changes on the physical protection system. They must ensure that any changes to the design basis threat are reflected in the physical protection measures.

China implements graded approach of protection and management of nuclear materials and zoning of nuclear facilities. With reference to Annex II of the Amendment to CPPNM and the requirements of the INFCIRC/225 document, the physical protection of nuclear material is categorized into three levels; the physical protection of is graded and zoned according to the importance of the protection target and the level of potential risks. The design, construction and maintenance of physical protection systems must preventative and balanced. Licensees must develop a quality assurance outline for physical protection systems and conduct regular evaluations of the effectiveness of physical protection systems.

China requires licensees, facility operators and entities engaged in related activities to develop emergency response plans and to conduct regular drills. Since 2016, China Atomic Energy Authority has successfully organized and implemented five series of "realistic" nuclear security emergency response drills, and the response capability of as been tested and improved.

2.2 National measures to fulfill obligations under Articles III and IV of the Convention

China attaches importance to cooperation with countries committed to the development of nuclear energy under the premise of nuclear non-proliferation, and has concluded intergovernmental agreements on cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy with more than 30 countries. The agreements all contain specific provisions requiring the contracting parties to take appropriate physical protection measures for transferred materials, nuclear materials, equipment and facilities. China has also issued the Regulations on the Physical Protection of International Transportation of Nuclear Materials, which clarify that international transportation of nuclear materials is under the centralized management and hierarchical responsibility of the competent state authorities and that a licensing system is in place.

China requires that any international transportation of nuclear material must be approved by competent state departments, and importers and exporters must establish physical protection systems for transportation of nuclear material. Operators must apply for licenses for physical protection of international transportation of nuclear material. In the process of international transport, operators and carriers must strictly comply with the relevant state laws and regulations, and the physical protection measures must be carefully followed. Nuclear material transport containers and security protection measures must comply with relevant international standards. China's physical protection measures for the international transport of nuclear materials in the hierarchy of provisions are consistent with the requirements of the Convention and its amendments to Annex I.

In the review and licensing of nuclear exports, China requires that the recipient government must guarantee that appropriate physical protection measures are taken for nuclear materials supplied by China and for special fissile materials generated through their use. All commercial contracts involving the import and export of nuclear materials must include provisions for the physical protection of nuclear materials. For countries that are parties to the Convention and have concluded inter-governmental agreements with China, the operators must require the competent authorities of the recipient party to confirm in writing the arrangements for the physical protection of nuclear materials; for countries that are not parties to the Convention or have not concluded inter-governmental agreements with China, the operators must request the competent authorities of the recipient party to make a written assurances to the physical protection of nuclear materials.

3. Conclusion

In summary, China's national measures in establishing and maintaining a system for the physical protection of nuclear materials and nuclear facilities have strictly fulfilled the relevant provisions of articles II, III and IV of the Amendment to the Convention, providing reliable assurances for the safe production, use, storage and transport of nuclear materials, the safe operation of nuclear facilities, and the safe development of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

Thank you, Co-President!