Actually, the NSS is part of the global nuclear energy cooperation mechanism. In order to illustrate what exactly is a global nuclear energy cooperation mechanism, we need to make a brief introduction about the nuclear industry chain. The nuclear industry chain is the longest and most complex chain of all manufacturing chains. It is so long and complex that sometimes even a big country cannot accomplish one by itself. Therefore, a global nuclear energy cooperation mechanism was called into existence.

While recognizing every country's right to develop peaceful nuclear energy, it is obvious that this doesn't mean all countries can develop nuclear weapons. The major production processes associated with the manufacturing of nuclear weapons can only be provided by nuclear superpowers. This is the starting point for the global nuclear energy cooperation mechanism.

In September 2003, then IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei proposed the concept of Multilateral Nuclear Approaches (MNA) that focused on safeguarding the international nuclear non-proliferation regime. On 25 January, 2006, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced an initiative to develop a Global Nuclear Power Infrastructure (GNPI). However, neither MNA nor GNPI really gained popularity. It was the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) initiated by the United States that finally moved things forward. At the first ministerial meeting in May 2007, the United States, China, France, Japan and Russia formally became the founding members of GNEP.

This proposal would divide the world into "fuel supplier nations," which supply enriched uranium fuel and take back spent fuel, and "user nations," which operate nuclear power plants.

Obviously, countries that were defined as "fuel supplier nations" possess legitimacy in developing all the production processes involved in nuclear power production. In the meanwhile, the "user nations" were deprived of the right to develop their own nuclear industry. They can only rely on big nuclear nations to provide them with nuclear technology and fuel.

As a result then, all questions involving the classification of countries and the distribution of key facilities for the nuclear fuel cycle industry become determinants in the future global energy distribution. They can even influence the geopolitical distribution of power. These are real calculations behind the NSS and the global nuclear security agenda.

From the analysis above we can see that, as far as the global nuclear security agenda is concerned, security is just one of the reasons for convening the meeting. It in essence is a game to compete for control over the nuclear chain. In the long nuclear chain, those who have the ability to move these key production processes under their control, grasp the control of the future of the nuclear industry.

China should have a clear vision of the essence of the current game, learn to play by the rules and develop its real competence.

The author is a researcher at the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, Renmin University of China.

The article was translated by Li Huiru. Its original version was published in Chinese.

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