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Cooperation key to tackling nuclear perils

By Qu Xing: 0 Comment(s)Print E-mail China.org.cn, March 27, 2012

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The Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul from March 26-27 is the follow-up to the 2010 Washington Summit. At the summit, leaders and representatives from 53 countries and organizations met for further discussions on issues concerning global nuclear security, which the North Korea and Iran issues have kept in sharp focus. Chinese President Hu Jintao's presence at the summit show the importance China attaches to this issue.

Qu Xing is the President of the China Institute of International Studies.

Serious global nuclear security situation

There are two principle aspects related to nuclear security. The first is safety, which focuses on preventing operational accidents in the nuclear energy industry; the other is security, which is involved with preventing nuclear terrorism. In light of current global flashpoints, nuclear security is of mounting concern to the international community.

There are several reasons for this concern. The first is related to the rapid development of the nuclear power industry. There are currently more than 430 nuclear reactors in operation globally, with a further 65 now under construction. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), at least 90 more reactors will be established by 2030, many of them in developing countries. Among developed nations, countries -- the U.S., the Soviet Union and Japan -- have all experienced large-scale nuclear accidents.

Reasons two and three are interlinked. Reason two is due to an increasing number of weak links in the nuclear power industrial chain. The proliferation of nuclear power has meant that the development, processing, transportation, disposal and storage of nuclear material have grown into a global network. Any social unrest in a nuclear-equipped country could lead to nuclear material getting into the hands of terrorists. This links straight into reason three, which is the continuing threat posed by international terrorism.

The tumultuous international situations in West Asia and North Africa in particular, have caused economic devastation in those regions and have led to thousands of deaths and resulted in as many refugees. The death and destruction which are the result of war are precursors for both extremism and terrorism. This, along with an increasing number of weak links in the nuclear power industry chains means that nuclear terrorism is now a grave threat.

The necessity of nuclear power

Despite its inherent risks, the world remains tied to nuclear power. According to the Statistical Review of World Energy released by British Petroleum in 2007, existing reserves of crude oil and natural gas will only meet global demand for another 40 and 60 years respectively. Therefore, development must be maintained via other means of energy.

There is also the threat posed by global warming due to emissions from burning oil and gas. According to current emission levels, the Earth's temperature will rise by 1.2-3.5 degree centigrade by the end of this century. Therefore, in order to avert disaster, we must change our energy consumption patterns. On balance, it seems that nuclear power is best-placed to handle our needs on an industrial scale.

In addition, every person has the right to pursue a better life. High consumption has become the norm for those seek to raise their standard of living, however, it comes at the cost of high energy consumption.

Statistics show that the average energy consumption per capita in developed countries is 35 times higher than in developing countries. This gap is neither reasonable nor morally justifiable.

Furthermore, all countries should have the right to peacefully develop and use nuclear power, as long as they adhere to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and other relevant international conventions. No country should be able to monopolize this right.

Resolutions to nuclear security

In light of all this, it is imperative that we ensure the effectiveness and safety of nuclear power for the benefit of all. To realize this goal, we must enhance international cooperation and strengthen global governance, which is why nuclear summits, such as the one in Seoul, are so crucial. Top of the agenda at the 2010 Washington Summit was preventing and combating nuclear terrorism. It called for universal acceptance of the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism and also increased the authority of the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material. The summit also advocated global activities such as exchange of nuclear security data, cultural cultivation and personal training. These are all important considerations, but they do not address the root-causes. In order to fight the threat of nuclear terrorism, we must address such issues as imbalanced social development, the widening income gap, regional upheavals, religious clashes, abuse of force, poverty and hatred.

China's attitude and efforts

China has worked hard on the issue of nuclear security. China is an initial partner of the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism and has signed all of the UN's international conventions on non-proliferation, and has strictly complied with all related UN Security Council resolutions. The Chinese government has also set up a clear guidance structure under the "safety first, quality first" assurance, which has been implemented since the beginning of nuclear development. It guides all aspects, including design, construction, operation, supervision, team building, capital and institutions. The proof is that China has maintained a good record in nuclear safety.

At the 2010 Washington Summit, President Hu Jintao proposed to enhance nuclear security, both in China and in developing countries through advice and cooperation. China is also considering setting up a nuclear security "Center of Excellence" through cooperation with relevant countries in order to play a bigger role in regional nuclear security cooperation.

Progress has certainly been made since the Washington Summit. China passed the Safety in Management of Radioactive Waste Act in 2011 and the Nuclear Security Law has entered the legislative process. After the Fukushima disaster in Japan, China accelerated the drawing up of nuclear safety regulations and readjusted the mid and long-term development plan regarding nuclear power to enhance their ability to deal with natural disasters and emergencies.

The government has also approved the establishment of a state nuclear security technology center which would provide technical support for the management and protection of nuclear material and facilities.

In this year's Government Work Report, Premier Wen Jiabao proposed to "safely and effectively develop nuclear power." This proposal perfectly sums up China's basic stance on handling the relationship between nuclear security and the peaceful use of nuclear energy.

(The post was first published in Chinese and translated by Li Shen.)

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