China opens 12 nuclear research facilities to global scientists

A view of the world's first fourth-generation nuclear power plant, the Shidaowan high temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) nuclear power plant, in Rongcheng County, Weihai City, east China's Shandong Province. /CMG

China will open 12 nuclear research facilities and testing platforms to international scientists and institutions to enhance global cooperation. These facilities include the China Advanced Research Reactor, the new-generation tokamak device Huanliu-3 and the Beishan Underground Research Laboratory.

The facilities span areas such as basic nuclear research, isotope production, nuclear environment simulation, equipment testing and radioactive waste treatment and disposal, said Liu Jing, vice chairman of the China Atomic Energy Authority (CAEA), at a meeting on Monday on the sidelines of the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) annual general conference.

Themed "Share for Development," the meeting was organized by the CAEA to promote international cooperation in nuclear technology research and development, as China marks the 40th anniversary of its accession to the IAEA.

Yu Jianfeng, chairman of China National Nuclear Corporation, said at the event that the company aims to deepen cooperation with the IAEA and expand international collaboration. He expressed hope that opening China's nuclear research facilities will contribute to advancing nuclear technology globally.

IAEA Deputy Director General Mikhail Chudakov commended China's remarkable achievements in nuclear energy development and highlighted the long-standing, fruitful relationship between the IAEA and the CAEA.

Welcoming China's decision to open up more of its nuclear research and development facilities, Chudakov said the move will further strengthen the agency's technical capacity to support its member states.

On Monday evening, the CAEA and China's permanent mission to the United Nations (UN) and other international organizations in Vienna jointly held a reception to celebrate the 40th anniversary of China's accession to the IAEA. More than 200 participants, including IAEA representatives and foreign envoys to Vienna, attended the event.

Li Song, China's permanent representative to the UN and other international organizations in Vienna, said at the reception that China and the IAEA have expanded practical cooperation and jointly promoted the development of nuclear energy over the past 40 years.

China, he said, will continue to strengthen collaboration with the IAEA and its member states to address emerging challenges in international security, safeguard the global non-proliferation regime, and promote the use of nuclear energy and technology for the benefit of the Global South.

At the reception, Liu, Li and IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi jointly unveiled a bronze statue of Qian Sanqiang, a renowned Chinese nuclear physicist and one of the founders of China's nuclear industry.

The statue, donated by China, will be permanently displayed at the IAEA headquarters, alongside sculptures of Polish-French physicist Marie Curie and other prominent figures who have made significant contributions to the peaceful use of nuclear energy.