December 6, 2016

Mr. Chairman,

I would like to congratulate you on your election as Chairman and assure you of the full support of this delegation to you in your work.

Mr. Chairman,

As one of the greatest scientific and technical achievements of humanity, peaceful use of nuclear energy plays an important role in socio-economic development of the world. On the other hand however nuclear security poses a major threat to international security. Since 2010 the international community has held 4 Nuclear Security Summits (NSS) in its quest for sound measures to strengthen global nuclear security governance. The President of China attended all 4 Nuclear Security Summits and made a series of proposals and recommendations on enhancing global nuclear security capacity and international cooperation. Further to his proposal at the Hague Summit of "a rational, coordinated and balanced" nuclear security concept, President Xi Jinping again proposed 4 points at the Washington Summit, namely, to step up political input, national responsibility, international cooperation and the culture of nuclear security.

Mr. Chairman,

The current International Conference on Nuclear Security is yet another important international event in the domain of nuclear security in the wake of the Nuclear Security Summit process and serves as a platform for countries to explore the implementation of the outcomes of the Nuclear Security Summits and to let the IAEA play a better role. The Chinese government appreciates the effort made by the IAEA in promoting nuclear security capacity building and supports the Agency's continued central role in nuclear security international cooperation.

Mr. Chairman,

The Chinese government attaches importance to stepping up its national responsibility. It has been constantly optimizing its system of nuclear security related laws and norms and increasing its nuclear security capacity building. China's National Security Law was promulgated and implemented in 2015 and the Counter-Terrorism Law enters into force in 2016. We are now in the process of legislating the Atomic Energy Law, the Nuclear Safety Law and the Nuclear Security Regulations. All design proposals on security systems of nuclear facilities in China are scrutinized strictly and nuclear security inspections are conducted routinely. The detection capability against radioactive materials at border checkpoints is continuously upgraded. Since the beginning of this year we have organized and conducted quite a number of important control activities, such as the integrated exercise for nuclear security emergency, specific security checks during the G20 Summit, nuclear-facility-specific cyber security checks and radioactive source security checks. What is more, with respect to nuclear security, China is stepping up education and training, enhancing awareness, cultivating the culture of nuclear security and obliging nuclear security staff to fulfil their duties more effectively.

China underscores closer international cooperation. It has faithfully carried out its international nuclear security obligations and actively participated in the international nuclear security process. China has ratified the Amendments to the Convention on Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM) and International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism and has taken nuclear security measures in strict accordance with relevant conventions. China has signed practical arrangements with the IAEA on nuclear security and taken the initiative to join the Agency's nuclear security plan. China has made active contributions to the Nuclear Security Fund and conducted cooperation with the IAEA in a wide spectrum of areas such as the formulation of the nuclear security series, nuclear security staff training and the security of large public events. The physical protection advisory services agreed upon between China and the Agency have been launched officially and are proceeding steadily according to schedule. The China-US COE came into being in Beijing in March this year and has since hosted a number of international and regional seminars and training courses, thus living up to its role as a regional COE. The project of low-enrichment conversion of the Ghana micro-reactor undertaken by China has achieved a milestone, with the completion of LEU fuel rod fabrication, and follow-up work is advancing. China has also set up mechanisms for regular dialogues and exchanges with the US and the EU on nuclear security, through which cooperate to strengthen nuclear security, to combat nuclear smuggling and other issues have been explored.

Mr. Chairman,

Since the initiation of the process of Nuclear Security Summit, the international community has converged on the common vision of preventing nuclear security threads and made firm commitments to strengthen nuclear security. Notwithstanding, as suggested by the theme of this conference, namely Commitments and Actions, only by translating international community's NS commitments into tangible actions, can we consolidate the line of defense of NS and ensure the long term development of the cause of peaceful use of nuclear energy. As an international organization dedicated to the nuclear issues, the Agency should make full use of its technical advantage to play a greater role in NS international cooperation. Here I would like to make several recommendations as follows:

1. The system of legal norms and standards on NS should be optimized. Based on NS related international conventions such as Amendments to the CPPNM, the Agency should invite experienced nuclear security experts from member states to improve upon Nuclear Security Series guidance documents with reference to NS good practices of international community. Apart from active participation in formulation of relevant documents, countries should use Nuclear Security Series guidance to enhance domestic law making and norms setting to implement NS requirements.

2. Capacity building should be intensified. Countries should enhance the security system of nuclear facilities and increase their capacity against nuclear security threat. Government agencies have to shoulder their responsibility and tighten monitoring and regular control to ensure permanent NS preparedness. The Agency should be active in conducting international nuclear security advisory services (INSServ) or similar peer review activities in support of NS capacity building in member States.

3. Networks for nuclear security education and training should be put in place. The Agency should make full use of coordination mechanisms like the COE network to promote the sharing of NS education and training resources among countries to jointly train NS specialists and propagate the NS culture. China is ready to share with other countries the resources of the COE and extend technical support to the Agency and other countries in conducting NS activities.

The Chinese government will continue to follow up in earnest to the firm commitments made by President Xi Jinping during the Washington Nuclear Security Summit. We are ready to work with our counterparts of other countries, share the NS technology and experience and contribute resources and platforms, provide credible assurance of the benefit of nuclear energy to human society.

Having said that, I wish the Conference a full success!

Thank you Mr. Chairman.

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