MEE/NNSA on 6 May conducted an activity in Beijing on experience feedback on civil nuclear safety equipment operation, where attendees were organized to learn and implement the Xi Jinping’s eco-conservation thoughts and nuclear safety concept of “rational, coordination and moving together”. This activity is aimed to improve quality management of civil nuclear safety equipment through comprehensively implementing Nuclear Safety Act, putting main responsibility of nuclear safety in place, reflecting the illegal cases in area of civil nuclear safety equipment, consolidating the results gained in aspects of “two zero tolerances”, “two full coverage” and nuclear safety culture building.

At the meeting, MEE/NNSA announced administrative punishment decisions upon some departments and individuals who had violated laws and/or rules. Speeches were presented, for purpose of exchange, by the representatives from related nuclear facility operators, project chief contractors, civil works construction contractors and nuclear safety regulators.

MEE/NNSA stressed that the CPCCC and the State Council have always been attaching importance to nuclear safety. Under the strong leadership of the CPCCC and the State Council, China has established a nuclear safety regulation system in conformity with the situations in our country and concurrently consistent with international practices. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping put forward the overall concept of national security and nuclear safety concept of “rational, coordination and moving together”, which pay great importance to and, strong guidance on, nuclear safety to an unprecedented degree. Always upholding the fundamental principle of “safety first, quality first”, MEE/NNSA has made unremitting efforts to enhancing nuclear safety regulation to such an extent that nuclear safety has been kept to have a good performance on the whole.

MEE/NNSA pointed out that there will be a long way to go in the regulatory arena of nuclear safety, along with further heavy responsibilities to be undertaken. It is necessary for all staff to have eternal vigilance on the way forward for carrying consistently out strict nuclear regulation by the rule of laws. All of staff should continue to improve political standing and to enhance the sense of responsibility and mission, so as to make sure that the thinking and actions will be kept to be consistent with the CPCCC’s decision and deployment and to be in accordance with both the overall concept of national security and the nuclear safety concept of “rational, coordination and moving together” put forward by Xi Jinping. Everyone should draw on experiences and lessons gained in related illegal events and extensively carry out warning education, as a whole, in order that illegal activities can be cracked down and resolutely punished in accordance with the national laws. Nuclear power operators, who are the ultimate undertaker of nuclear safety responsibility, must enhance the supervision, management and contract constraint in relation to purchaser and manufacturer.

The general contractor organizations should effectively implement their responsibilities of purchasing, supervision and project management by strengthening supplier supervision and factory acceptance management. Producers of nuclear equipment, who have the primary responsibility for the quality of such equipment, must be responsible for equipment quality and safety, and effectively implement quality assurance program to ensure the quality and reliability of such nuclear equipment. Engineering supervisors should have full independency and should carry out supervision in an impartial, independent and autonomous manner. Meanwhile, efforts should be made in an attempt to develop third party supervision pilot in the sector of nuclear equipment manufacture to further enhance the independency and effectiveness of supervisory work. Regulators should diligently implement the Nuclear Safety Act and establish a long-term effective supervisory mechanism for nuclear safety on the basis of insisting on the supervisory principle of “independency, openness and rule of law, rational thinking and effectiveness". Only in this way, can nuclear and radiation safety be effectively guaranteed through a combination of more sound institutional system, more strict safety standards, higher nuclear safety culture level and stronger supervisory strength.