China's nuclear power precondition 'extremely safe'

BEIJING -- China will develop nuclear power under an "extremely safe" precondition after drawing lessons from the Fukushima nuclear power station accident in Japan last year, a spokesman for the country's top political advisory body said Friday.

Zhao Qizheng, spokesman for the annual session of the 11th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference(CPPCC), made the remarks when asked about China's nuclear power policy at a press conference.

Safety remains top priority in the country's development of nuclear power as China is endeavoring to design and construct third-generation nuclear power stations according to safer standards, Zhao said.

He said the Fukushima nuclear crisis, as well as nuclear accidents in the Three Mile Island in the United States and the Chernobyl nuclear power station in Ukraine, has again sounded the alarm of safety and raised global safety concerns on nuclear power stations.

He said Japan has paid huge price for the Fukushima nuclear power station accident in the wake of the devastating earthquake and tsunami in March last year and the world has learned lessons from it.

In the same month after the Fukushima nuclear crisis, China immediately launched inspections over the safety of nuclear power stations around the country and adopted more stringent measures.

Zhao said China is currently expediating efforts to review safety guidelines concerning nuke power stations and adjust its strategy on long-term development of nuclear power to enhance the capacity of handling extreme natural disasters and emergency response capability at nuclear power stations and nuclear facilities.

He noted China hopes to strengthen cooperation and exchanges with Japan on nuclear power and other new resources to learn from each other and improve both countries' new resources development capacities.