China, Taiwan nuke accident agreement

China and Taiwan have signed a security agreement to inform each other in the event of a nuclear accident.

Representatives for the cross-strait talks, Chen Yunlin of China, and Chiang Pin-kung of Taiwan, met on Thursday in Tianjin in the wake of nuclear disaster in Japan.

They agreed to quickly notify each other of any radioactive materials that might spread in the region as well as the cause of any accident which is level 2 or above.

Level 2 is the 3rd least dangerous on the 8-step scale of nuclear disasters.

They also promised to exchange information on safety criteria and ways to maintain oversight for nuclear plants.
Currently, 20 nuclear power plants are operating in China and Taiwan. 27 in China and 2 in Taiwan are under construction.

An NHK correspondent says China remains committed to nuclear power generation despite the Fukushima disaster, even launching a new plant.

He says the signing of the agreement apparently aims to promote its efforts on nuclear safety in and outside of the country.

Friday, October 21, 2011 06:42 +0900 (JST)