IAEA nuclear experts complete security advisory mission to China

A team of nuclear security experts with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recently completed an advisory trip to the People’s Republic of China at the behest of its government for an examination of the country’s nuclear security apparatus.

Under the IAEA’s Physical Protection Advisory Service (IPPAS), the two-week mission included an assessment of the country’s legislative and regulatory framework for nuclear security, an examination of the physical protection of both nuclear material and facilities, and a visit to the Fangjiashan Nuclear Power Plant.

“A strong commitment to nuclear security is a must for any state that uses nuclear power for electricity generation and that is planning to significantly expand this capacity by constructing new power reactors,” Muhammad Khaliq, head of the IAEA’s Nuclear Security of Materials and Facilities Section, said. “China’s example in applying IAEA Nuclear Security guidance and using IAEA advisory services demonstrates its strong commitment to nuclear security and its enhancement worldwide.”

A focus of the mission also centered on the country’s implementation of the 2005 amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, which China ratified in 2009 and entered into force in 2016, and provides a strengthened framework for protecting nuclear material and facilities.

“We are satisfied with the report of this mission that serves as an independent review of our nuclear security regime,” Shen Lixin, deputy director general of the China Atomic Energy Authority’s Department of System Engineering, said. “I am very proud that the team could identify good practices to be shared with the international community.”