China’s nuclear industry giant presents “China's solutions” for the peaceful uses of nuclear technology to members of ASEAN at the Second China-ASEAN Forum on the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Technology held in South China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on September 16, 2023. Photo: Courtesy of CNNC

China's nuclear industry giant presented "China's solutions" for the peaceful uses of nuclear technology to members of ASEAN at the Second China-ASEAN Forum on the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Technology held in South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on Saturday.

At the forum, fruitful results on further deepening China-ASEAN nuclear cooperation have been achieved. The China Isotope and Radiation Industry Association announcedsix China-ASEAN peaceful use nuclear technology cooperation demonstration projects and a total of 10 documents were signed between Chinese nuclear companies and ASEAN member states and the local government of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the Global Times has learned from the China National Nuclear Corporation(CNNC).

As good neighbors, brothers, and partners, China and ASEAN are connected by mountains and rivers and are closely related by blood. Over the past 10 years, China has supported the development of peaceful uses of nuclear technology in various countries of ASEAN with practical actions, Liu Jing, vice chairman of the China Atomic Energy Authority, told the forum.

China is willing to share the country's experience and practices related to nuclear technology with members of the ASEAN by jointly building a pragmatic and effective cooperation mechanism, promoting distinctive cooperation projects, cultivating cooperation , creating a harmonious and friendly cooperation environment so that nuclear technology can contribute to the sustainable social and economic development of ASEAN members, and the high-quality development of China-ASEAN comprehensive strategic partnership, Liu noted.

The six China-ASEAN peaceful use nuclear technology cooperation demonstration projects, announcedby the China Isotope and Radiation Industry Association at the forum, involved supply of finished radiopharmaceutical products in Indonesia, the demonstration and promotion of high temperature resistant rice varieties induced by irradiation in Vietnam, the new future high-tech radiation testing center project in Thailand and the DZ10/20 electron accelerator pet food irradiation sterilization project in Cambodia.

Onthe"China's solutions" addressing China-ASEAN nuclear cooperation,the CNNC continues to playan important role. Addressing the forum, Gu Jun,General Manager of the corporation, said the CNNC has been treated ASEAN a long-term important region to deepen cooperation with and in the new historical starting point marking the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative and the 20th anniversary of the China-ASEAN Expo, the company would like to contribute more efforts in deepening nuclear cooperation between China and ASEAN.

Using international platforms such as the IAEA Collaborating Center for Radioactive Sources and projects including the Lancang -Mekong National Nuclear Energy Youth Training Program, the CNNC will further deepen people-to-people and cultural collaboration with members of the ASEAN, Gu noted.

Gu also said the CNNC will give full play to the technical capabilities of the entire nuclear industry chain to promote nuclear medicine, nuclear security inspection and irradiation application, better serving regional economic development and creating a group ofmeaningful benchmark demonstration projects.

The China's nuclear giant will further expand cooperation with ASEAN in nuclear technology facility construction, research and development and share nuclear experiences in new type of nuclear reactors and new energy, Gu said.

Concluding the achievements on nuclear cooperation between China-ASEAN, Liu noted that China has cooperated with Indonesia to establish a joint laboratory for high-temperature gas-cooled reactors, cooperated with Thailand to design and build micro research reactors and tokamak nuclear fusion experimental devices, and cooperated with Malaysia to build commercial reactors.

China's irradiation equipment has provided nuclear technology solutions for airport port security and large public event security in many ASEAN member states. In addition, under cooperation mechanisms such as the Asia-Pacific Nuclear Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement, China + ASEAN, ASEAN Regional Cooperation Forum, Lancang-Mekong River, China provide training and seminars, scientific visits and exchanges for ASEAN countries, Liu continued.

China and ASEAN share a collective population of 2 billionpeopleand have huge potential to develop nuclear technology application industries. As the frontier and window for China's opening up and cooperation with ASEAN, Guangxi is willing to give full play to the region's advantages, and jointly create a number of demonstration projects, Xu Yongke, Vice Chairman of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, told the forum.

Global Times