Eight of 10 plants in the world built last year reportedly came from China, which experts believe is on track to becoming the world's top nuclear power producer.

China has stepped up nuclear development even as it enhances nuclear safety, news portal jiemian.com reported in February.

By 2020, China will have 90 nuclear plants, Chen Jining, minister of environmental protection, said, adding that China will overtake France as the second largest nuclear power producer in terms of installed capacity behind the US, China News Service reported on April 19.

"Developing nuclear energy is of strategic importance to China in tackling environmental pollution," said Gui Liming, a professor at Tsinghua University and expert on China's nuclear safety system.

He told the Global Times that the proportion of electricity generated by nuclear power is far less than that of other countries like South Korea. "China has improved its ability to ensure the safety of nuclear power plants in recent years. With maturing technologies, the country is confident to build more nuclear plants," Gui noted.

The Chinese mainland has 30 nuclear power plants with a total installed capacity of 28.31 gigawatts. It plans to reach a nuclear power capacity of 58 gigawatts, with an additional 30-gigawatt capacity by 2020, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

China renewed the construction of nuclear power plants in 2014 after suspending new construction following Japan's Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011, Xinhua reported.