IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano today concluded an official visit to the People's Republic of China that featured bilateral meetings with top Chinese energy officials and visits to key nuclear facilities. An important highlight of his visit was the signing of a practical arrangement between the IAEA and China Atomic Energy Authority (CAEA) on cooperation in the field of safe nuclear power plant construction.
The signing of the practical arrangement took place on Friday, 21 October 2011, when the Director General met met with Mr. CHEN Qiufa, Chairman of CAEA in Beijing, China. The arrangement provides for stronger collaboration with the Agency and China's International Construction Training Center (ICTC) to ensure the safe construction of new nuclear power plants. China has an active nuclear power programme with 15 nuclear plants in operation, and 27 new plants under construction. Currently, nuclear energy accounts for 1.82% of China's total electricity production.
On Saturday, 22 October 2011, Mr. Amano met with Mr. Mu Zhanying, President of China's Nuclear Engineering Group Company and Mr. Sun Qin, President of China National Nuclear Corporation. The Director General also attended the inauguration of the International Construction Training Center (ICTC). Mr. Amano then travelled to Shenzhen, China on Sunday, where he met with Mr. He Yu, Chairman of the Board of the China Guangdong Nuclear Power Corporation, and delivered a keynote address the next morning to the Biennial General Meeting of the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO). (See story).