NEA Director-General Mr William D. Magwood, IV and senior staff held high-level discussions with the China Atomic Energy Authority (CAEA) Chairman Mr ZHANG Kejian (张克俭) and senior representatives from the CAEA on 21 January 2021. The meeting focused on ongoing co-operation and technical exchanges within the framework of the existing Joint Declaration on Co-operation in the Field of Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy.
Discussions with the Chinese authorities covered a wide range of issues, including the role of nuclear energy in a low-carbon energy future and the latest developments in nuclear new build in China. The dialogues also touched on the role of nuclear energy during COVID-19 and beyond, as well as the impact of the pandemic on the energy sector. CAEA Chairman Mr ZHANG Kejian pointed out that nuclear power has continued to generate electricity reliably during the pandemic and therefore helped ensure the resilient and continuous operation of critical services.
During the discussions, Director-General Magwood noted that the collaboration between the NEA and China over the past seven years has enabled valuable exchanges of information and ideas from which both NEA membership and China can benefit. China has sent representatives to a growing array of NEA meetings and fora, as well as being a full participant in three NEA-serviced bodies: the Generation IV International Forum (GIF), the Multinational Design Evaluation Programme (MDEP) and the International Framework for Nuclear Energy Co-operation (IFNEC). Since 2018, the Agency also welcomed three Chinese experts on secondment who have contributed to NEA activities in the areas of radioactive waste management, decommissioning, nuclear law and radiological protection.
Underlining the enhanced technical co-operation between the two parties, the first NEA-China Forum on Nuclear Decommissioning and Radioactive Waste Management will be held as soon as the pandemic conditions allow.