The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) March Board of Governors meeting was held in Vienna during March 2 to 6, 2026. Mr. LIU Guanghui, Deputy Permanent Representative of China to the IAEA, delivered the statement on March 3rd under the agenda of "Nuclear Technology Review 2026," introducing China's active implementation of Global Development Initiatives, international cooperation in nuclear energy and technology, and active participation in IAEA affairs. The full text of his statement is as follows:
Mr. Chairman,
The Chinese delegation thanks the Secretariat for the report drafted and the briefing, and supports the statement made by the Group of 77 and China under this agenda.
China appreciates the Agency's continued commitment in 2025 to Atoms for Peace and Development, its active promotion of the peaceful use of nuclear energy and technology, its ongoing efforts to advance initiatives, e.g. Atoms4Food, Atoms4NetZero, and Rays of Hope, and its hosting of International Conferences on Stakeholder Engagement for Nuclear Power Programmes, and International Symposium on Artificial Intelligence and Nuclear Energy, etc..
China emphasized that Nuclear Technology Review, as one of the key annual publications of the Agency, should comprehensively reflect the achievements in the global nuclear energy and technology field and the contributions of member states, while comprehensively and objectively reflecting the important role of nuclear energy and technology in achieving Sustainable Development Goals and addressing Climate Change.
Mr. Chairman,
As the largest developing country, China has consistently supported the IAEA's important role in promoting the peaceful use of nuclear energy. As a key participant and contributor to the IAEA's activities, China promptly and fully paid its €14 million Technical Cooperation Fund for 2025 and provided over 40 Junior Professional Officers, Cost Free Experts, and Interns. In 2025, China actively hosted over 20 IAEA meetings and training courses, with nearly 1,000 experts and scholar participants from aboard.
China has continuously increased its participation and support in IAEA major events and advanced technologies. In October 2025, China and the IAEA successfully hosted the 30th Fusion Energy Conference and the 2nd Ministerial Meeting of the World Fusion Energy Group in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. H.E. Director General Grossi attended the meeting, with nearly 2,000 senior representatives and scholars from over 60 countries and international organizations participating and engaging in exchanges and cooperation, injecting new momentum into global fusion energy development. Vice Premier Mr. ZHANG Guoqing attended the event and delivered a speech, emphasizing that China is actively promoting the transition of controlled fusion energy research from scientific research to engineering practice in an orderly manner. China stands ready to work with all parties to jointly carry out fundamental research and technology breakthroughs in fusion energy, promote the integration of scientific and industrial innovation, strengthen the formulation and implementation of safety rules and standards, and deepen exchanges and mutual learning. Our goal is to advance the governance of fusion energy to be more just and equitable, its development more to be more inclusive and beneficial for all, and international cooperation to be more open and well-ordered. China and the IAEA will co-host the International Conference on Fast Reactors and Related Fuel Cycles in May this year, and welcomes active participation from all parties.
China supports the Rays of Hope initiative and has jointly held Clinical On-the-Job Training with the IAEA for Medical Physicists in China in 2024 and 2025, and 40 radiation therapy physicists from 22 Global South countries attended, which would help to improve their health-care levels and enhance the health and well-being of their people. China and the IAEA have designated the Collaborating Center on Research and Training in Fusion Energy, and the Collaborating Center on Advanced Technologies for Decommissioning of Research Reactors in 2025, further expanding the cooperation platform.
The successful cooperation between China and the IAEA has accompanied and witnessed the vigorous development of China's nuclear energy and technology application. Currently, there are 62 nuclear power units in commission in Mainland China, along with 50 units under construction or approved/pending construction, ranking first globally in total. The number of operational and under-construction units of the self-developed Generation III, represented by HPR1000, has reached 41, with large-scale construction entering an accelerated phase. In July 2025, China's Guoyou No.1 demonstration project produced its first barrel of uranium based on in-situ leaching mining technology, achieving zero discharge of waste water, waste gas, and solid waste during the natural uranium mining process, with no ecological damage and low-carbon sustainability. The Chinese government has formulated and continuously promoted the implementation of the Three-Year Action Plan for the High-Quality Development of the Nuclear Technology Application Industry (2024-2026), further enhancing the independent innovation capability of the industry and injecting strong momentum into the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries.
In January this year, the Atomic Energy Law of the People's Republic of China came into official effect. China will take the implementation of the Atomic Energy Law as a new opportunity, guided by the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind and the Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, Global Civilization Initiative, and Global Governance Initiative, to further deepen all-round cooperation with the IAEA and its member states, continuously promote Atoms for Global South, and contribute more China’s wisdom and China’s solutions to the global cause of peaceful use of atomic energy.
With these comments, the Chinese delegation takes note of the Nuclear Technology Review 2026 as contained in document GOV/2026/5.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.