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China supports the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) contribution to the efforts against potential nuclear terrorism and attaches great importance to the security of radioactive sources, a Chinese official said in Vienna Wednesday.
China fights against all kinds of terrorism, including nuclear terrorism, and believes that every government has the duty to fight nuclear terrorism, Xu Yuming, vice chairman of China Atomic Energy Authority told the International Conference on Security of Radioactive Sources.
Calling for closer international cooperation in fighting nuclear terrorism, Xu stressed that the assessment of potential nuclear terrorism, such as possible attacks on nuclear installations, should be carried out in a down-to-earth manner and that necessary preventive measures should be taken in this regard.
The Chinese government maintains that while the international community, including the IAEA, positively implements the preventive measures against nuclear terrorism, the cooperation in the area of peaceful use of nuclear energy should be promoted, Xu said.
Technical cooperation with and supports for developing countries should be expanded, and more efforts should be made to help developing countries develop economy, get rid of poverty, improve medical conditions and realize the sustainable development so as to eliminate the source of nuclear terrorism, Xu added.
China attaches great importance to the security of radioactive sources, Xu said, citing that from the 1980s, the government has successfully issued a series of administrative roles and provisions to strictly control the production, use and distribution of radioactive sources.
An effective regulation system has been set up and related departments have carried out complete management in various links such as licensing, protection control, accidental control, and protection supervision for radioactive sources, according to Xu.
About 50,000 radioactive sources in the Chinese mainland are all under effective control and most of the lost sources have been recovered, Xu said.
He said that China will learn from other countries' advanced technologies and further strengthen its control over radioactive sources.
The three-day conference opened here Tuesday with the participation of some 600 delegates from more than 110 countries.
(Xinhua News Agency March 13, 2003)
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