— Speech by Hu Jintao, President of the People's Republic of China,

at the Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul

(Seoul, March 27, 2012)

The first nuclear security summit held in Washington in 2010 shows the international community's consensus on nuclear security issues, and marks a new period for international cooperation in coping with nuclear security challenges. In the past two years, all countries have made active progress in nuclear security, with an enhanced awareness of the importance of nuclear security. Relevant international frameworks are improving, and international cooperation is deepening. The safety of nuclear materials and nuclear facilities has sharply improved, with stronger capacities to cope with nuclear terrorism.

At the same time, we are still faced with grave nuclear security challenges. Unstable and uncertain factors in the international situation are increasing. The loss and proliferation of nuclear materials remains possible and the threat of nuclear terrorism cannot be dismissed. There is still a long way to go before we can effectively contain security risks in nuclear power development and utilization.

China has always attached great importance to nuclear security while at the same time is strongly opposed to nuclear proliferation and nuclear terrorism. Over the past two years, China has taken active nuclear security measures and achieved excellent initial results.

China attaches great importance to national nuclear security capacity building. China is increasing inputs in nuclear security and trying to strengthen the legal and regulatory system on nuclear security. China has conducted a comprehensive inspection of safety at its nuclear facilities. In order to promote human resources development, all-dimensional training programs and diversified training models have been established, with 500 nuclear security staff involved in training courses. The Chinese Government has also strengthened safety management of radioactive sources and radioactive waste, promoting the construction of China's national radioactive source database.

China has strictly fulfilled international obligations on nuclear security. The Chinese Government has approved the amended Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism and in accordance with the convention's requirements, is accelerating the formulation and improvement of relevant supportive regulations, so as to adopt stricter measures for nuclear material protection. China has strictly implemented its obligations under relevant UNSC resolutions, including Resolution 1540 and Resolution 1887, so as to prevent non-state actors' illegal acquisition of nuclear and other radioactive materials.

China carries out a wide range of international cooperation on nuclear security. China supports the IAEA's key role in the field of nuclear security. China has signed agreements with the IAEA with a view to intensifying cooperation between the two sides in such areas as nuclear security regulations and standards, nuclear security of major public events, capacity building and training. China has established the National Nuclear Security Technology Center. Work in the nuclear security exhibition center is going very well. This center is capable of staff training, technological research and development and international communication, etc, covering areas like nuclear security, supervision, nuclear material control, and physical protection. China has established the Radiation Detection Training Center of China Customs, increasing its capacity to prevent nuclear material smuggling. In the areas of highly enriched uranium transformation, radioactive source security, staff training, nuclear export control, etc., China has engaged in effective cooperation with some countries.

China tries to ensure the nuclear security of major public events. In recent years, China has held several big international events such as Shanghai 2010 World Expo and the Guangzhou Asian Games in 2010. In order to ensure the success of these activities and prevent nuclear terrorism, China has taken a series of effective measures, including developing and using new nuclear security facilities and stepping up nuclear detection on relevant occasions.

China actively offers nuclear security and nuclear power security assistance to other countries. China and the IAEA co-hosted many regional nuclear security-training courses, and trained about 100 specialists for more than 10 Asia-Pacific countries. China has donated to the IAEA Nuclear Security project in order to support China and other Asian countries' nuclear security capability building. China has proposed to set up a nuclear power cooperative mechanism among China, Japan and South Korea, contributing to local nuclear security and nuclear power security.

In the future, China will take further nuclear security measures to ensure the security of its own nuclear materials and facilities, while participating in relevant international cooperation. We'll make efforts to do the following work well. China will strengthen nuclear security measures, intensify supervision and inspection, exclude hidden security risks, improve the overall nuclear security level, fulfill relevant international conventions, formulate and improve supportive laws and regulations as well as optimizing nuclear security management mechanisms. We'll try our best to build China's nuclear security exhibition center into a regional center of technical communication and training and push forward cooperation between the center and other exhibition centers, with a view to improving the local nuclear security level. We will support the IAEA in nuclear security work, fully deepen cooperation with the institution and various others.

While transforming its own highly enriched uranium research reactors, China will actively help other countries in need with its technical expertise.

China will share with other countries its experience of providing security at major international events. Only by working together can countries realize the goal of universal nuclear security. Here, I'd like to put forward the following proposals in the new circumstances.

To follow a scientific and sensible approach to nuclear security and boost confidence in the development of nuclear energy. Nuclear energy plays an irreplaceable role in ensuring energy security and coping with climate change. We should face up to the associated risks, learn lessons from nuclear accidents, make nuclear energy safer and more reliable and promote the safe and sustainable development of nuclear energy.

To strengthen nuclear security capacity building and bear national responsibility for ensuring nuclear security. We should establish and improve the legislative and regulatory system for nuclear security, build up the team for handling nuclear emergencies, increase input in R&D, and strengthen staff training, with a view to providing an institutional guarantee for strengthening nuclear security, a mechanism guarantee for emergency situations, technical guarantee for improving nuclear security level and staff guarantee for strengthening nuclear security capacity

To deepen international exchanges and cooperation and improve nuclear security around the world. We need to promote the universality of relevant international legal instruments and ensure their strict observance and tangible implementation. We should fully bring into play the role of IAEA, promote the application of nuclear security standards and norms, and share nuclear security experience and measures. It's important to provide assistance to promote nuclear security, focusing on helping developing countries to set up and improve the basic structure for nuclear security, and raise their technical capabilities

To take a comprehensive approach and address both the symptoms and root causes of nuclear proliferation and nuclear terrorism. We should adhere to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, follow a new security concept featuring mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality and coordination, and use peaceful means to resolve hotspot issues and international disputes, so as to help create a favorable international environment for enhancing nuclear security.

It is the common goal of the international community to completely realize the peaceful use of nuclear energy. China will, as always, push for the complete prohibition and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons, abide by the policy of not being the first to use nuclear weapons, be committed to international nuclear non-proliferation efforts, support the right of countries to the peaceful use of nuclear energy and make its due contribution to building a harmonious world with lasting peace and common prosperity.