| The Vienna-based International Atomic Energy | | | | ElBaradei says his agency is working on developing a |
| Agency says it is gearing up for a global resurgence | | | | system to ensure that nuclear energy is used for |
| of interest in nuclear energy. These comments came | | | | peaceful and not military purposes. |
| Monday in Beijing, on the opening day of a three-day | | | | "One of the proposals we have been discussing is a |
| international ministerial-level conference on the future | | | | multi-nationalization of the full cycle, which means that |
| of nuclear power. | | | | all enrichment, all reprocessing, that sensitive part of the |
| The head of China's Atomic Energy Agency, Wang | | | | fuel cycle that enables a country to develop nuclear |
| Yiren, says his country is an appropriate choice to host | | | | weapons in a short span of time if they want to, would |
| the IAEA meeting on the future of nuclear energy. | | | | be under multi-national control," ElBaradai said. |
| Wang says China has been the world's most active | | | | He says he will make a proposal on the issue at an |
| country, in terms of nuclear power development. | | | | IAEA board meeting in June. |
| The International Atomic Energy Agency says China | | | | Another issue is the lack of human capital in the |
| has 11 reactors under construction and plans to expand | | | | nuclear power industry. The head of the Paris-based |
| its nuclear power program seven-fold by the end of | | | | Organization for Economic Co-operation and |
| the next decade. | | | | Development, Angel Gurria, says worldwide concern |
| The United Nations agency says China represents | | | | over accidents at American and Russian nuclear |
| only one-quarter of the 44 units under construction | | | | power plants in the late 1970's and 1980's caused a |
| around the world. Of those, more than half are | | | | whole generation of would-be nuclear scientists and |
| concentrated in Asia, which was also home to most of | | | | engineers to shun the profession. |
| the last 39 reactors built. | | | | "After Three Mile Island, after Chernobyl, nobody |
| International Atomic Energy Agency Director General | | | | wanted to even touch the thing. Nobody wanted to |
| Mohamed ElBaradei addresses an IAEA conference in | | | | talk about it," said Gurria. "The world "nuclear" was |
| Beijing, China, 20 Apr 2009 | | | | almost out of the vocabulary." |
| IAEA head Mohamed ElBaradei says he supports an | | | | Gurria says now is the time to, in his words, "pick up |
| emerging country like China, in its pursuit of nuclear | | | | and accelerate and catch up with the lag" that has |
| energy. | | | | been created. |
| "China is a country that needs a huge amount of | | | | He says safety is the most important priority in |
| energy. China does not have its own domestic supply | | | | developing nuclear power plants and he urged |
| of energy. Import of coal and oil is expensive, [prices] | | | | countries not to make short-term compromises as |
| fluctuating, and has a lot of problems in terms of | | | | they grapple with the global financial crisis. But, at the |
| climate change," he said. "So, it is very natural that | | | | same time, he stresses his belief that, as world |
| China will have to rely on nuclear power as part of | | | | demand for energy continues to rise, nuclear energy |
| their energy mix." | | | | should be an increasingly important part of the solution. |