"China will sincerely implement the Convention on Nuclear Safety and draw on advanced technology and experience of other countries to ensure its nuclear safety meets international standards," said Xie Zhenhua, director of the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA).

Xie made the remarks at a ceremony marking the 20th anniversary of the founding of the National Nuclear Safety Administration (NNSA). Tomihiro Taniguchi, deputy director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and representatives of nuclear safety authorities from more than 40 countries attended.

The NNSA was established in 1984 and was placed under the administration of SEPA in 1998.

Years of monitoring indicate that the radioactive elements in China's atmosphere, soil and surface and ground water are well within safety standards. No major incidents have taken place in the country's nuclear installations during the past 20 years, said Xie.

Taniguchi spoke highly of NNSA's achievements, saying that the performance of the nuclear power stations under its supervision has been excellent.

"The fact that China is the world's leader in developing a large-scale nuclear program is, in no small amount, due to the regulatory effectiveness to assure safety. This has been supported by the sustained dedication and hard work of our colleagues in the NNSA, by their high technical competence and by China's strong political commitment," he said.

He said that because of the large scale and high quality of cooperation between the IAEA and China, China has been a strong force in promoting adherence to IAEA safety standards and implementation of the IAEA nuclear safety strategy.

"I sincerely believe that the NNSA, in the coming two decades, will strengthen its leadership role and continue to serve as a world model of good safety practices," he said.

Taniguchi is in Beijing to attend the International Conference on Topical Issues in Nuclear Installation Safety on October 18–22.

(Xinhua News Agency October 21, 2004)