Mr. Chair,  

Peaceful uses of nuclear energy, as one of the three pillars of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), is an inalienable right of all States parties to the NPT. “Atoms for peace and development” is the shared aspiration of all nations. Promoting peaceful uses of nuclear energy and nuclear technology is an important means to address the challenges of global climate change and fulfill the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.  

Chinese President Xi Jinping has put forward the idea of building a community with a shared future for mankind, Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative and Global Civilization Initiative, which has provided China's answer for the international community to address global challenges and jointly build a better planet. China is ready to make efforts with the international community to give full play to the role of NPT in serving world peace and development. To this end, China makes the following points.  

First, practice the Global Security Initiative and promote the universally beneficial and inclusive development of nuclear energy. All States parties should attach great importance to the key role of nuclear energy in global sustainable development, work together to promote nuclear energy to bring benefits to the  Global South. All States parties should actively support the  technology cooperation activities of IAEA, pay the assessed  contribution of the technology cooperation fund in full and on  time, jointly formulate an action plan, provide more public  goods and services for the developing countries to utilize nuclear energy to address climate change, achieve green development and solve people's livelihood issues. The State parties, especially the developed countries should increase assistance and support to the developing countries under the framework of IAEA.  

Second, implement the Global Security Initiative, promote safer and more stable governance of nuclear energy. Nuclear safety and security is the lifeline of sustainable peaceful uses of nuclear energy. The international community should work together to uphold a rational, coordinated and balanced Nuclear Safety Strategy, build a fair, collaborative and mutually beneficial international nuclear security system and build a community of shared future for nuclear safety. All states  should strictly fulfill national responsibility of nuclear security , ensure peaceful uses of nuclear energy to build a community with a shared future for human and nature, rather than sacrifice the natural environment and human health. China's opposition to Japan's unilateral discharge of nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean has not changed. China will work with the international community and IAEA as well as other relevant professional organizations, to urge Japan to fulfill its commitment, and ensure strict international monitoring of the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water. China always opposes armed attacks on nuclear power plants or other peaceful nuclear facilities, and supports the IAEA in playing a constructive role in promoting the safety and security of peaceful nuclear facilities.  

Third, uphold true multilateralism and oppose unilateral sanctions and double standards in peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Some countries under the banner of non-proliferation, over-stretch the concept of national security, take a discriminatory approach towards normal nuclear cooperation, exert illegally sanctions on entities and persons of other countries, use export control as a tool of decoupling and pursuing geopolitical goals. The abuse of tariffs on various countries by one State will seriously undermine international cooperation on the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and infringe upon the legitimate rights and interests of all countries. China strongly condemns and firmly opposes such behavior. All countries should jointly oppose all kinds of unilateralism and protectionism, to ensure that international cooperation among countries in the peaceful use of nuclear energy is not subject to illegal restrictions or interference. 

Fourth, defend the legitimate rights of all countries and bring about more open and reasonable nuclear energy cooperation. International cooperation on nuclear energy is an important field for promoting the modernization of countries around the world through Chinese modernization. China respects the legitimate rights of all countries to the peaceful uses of nuclear energy in accordance with their own development needs. China together with other countries have promoted the UN General Assembly to adopt the resolution entitled “Promoting International Cooperation on Peaceful Uses in the Context of International Security”, which makes positive contribution to protecting the legitimate rights and interests of all countries in the peaceful uses of science and technologies, including nuclear technologies, and properly addressing the security challenges brought about by the application of science and technology.

Mr Chair,

Pursuing an active, safe and orderly strategy in development of nuclear power, China has the largest scale of nuclear power capacity under construction with the fastest developing rate and is also the first country to achieve batch commercial operation of the third-generation nuclear power units, playing an important role in global nuclear power development. By the end of December 2024, 58 nuclear power units are operating in the Chinese mainland, with a total installed capacity of 60.88 gigawatts. 27 nuclear power units are under construction with a total installed capacity of 32.31 gigawatts, and 17 nuclear power units have been approved for construction. China has made positive progress in the development and deployment of advanced small and medium-sized modular reactors. The first high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) with pebble-bed module with a installed capacity of 200,000 kilowatts has been put into commercial operation in Shidaowan, Shandong Province. China is building the world's first land-based commercial modular reactor “Linglong I” (ACP100) in Changjiang, Hainan Province. It is expected to be completed and put into operation next year. China has attached high importance to nuclear safety and security, maintained a good record of nuclear safety, fully fulfilled international obligations on nuclear safety and vigorously promoted a community with a shared future for nuclear safety. 

China supports the central role of IAEA in promoting peaceful use of nuclear and international cooperation, actively provides technical, human, and material support. China has donated over $120 million to the Technical Cooperation Fund, and is the second-largest donor country. China shares experience with the Global South while rigorously upholding nuclear non-proliferation, has signed intergovernmental agreements on cooperation in peaceful uses of nuclear energy with over 30 countries to share the benefit from nuclear development. Last September, the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation for the first time put China Atomic Energy Authority(CAEA)-IAEA-AU cooperation on peaceful uses of nuclear technologies into the outcome document. China is ready to work with the IAEA to create more “small and beautiful” and “people-benefiting” trilateral demonstration projects, delivering more benefit of nuclear technology to people in more areas. 

Last month, during IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi’s visit to China at the invitation of China Atomic Energy Authority, China and the IAEA signed several cooperation documents which will further deepen cooperation in key areas such as nuclear safety and security, food and agriculture, resources and environment, and the nuclear fuel cycle, to provide more public goods and cultivate more young talents for global nuclear energy development. In October of this year, China and IAEA will hold the 30th Fusion Energy Conference and the 2nd Ministerial-level Meeting of the “World Fusion Energy Group” in Sichuan, Chengdu Province of China, to make contribution to the early commercialization of controlled nuclear fusion for the benefit of all humanity.

Mr. Chair, 

China is willing to work with all parties to promote innovation in nuclear energy technology, address security risks and challenges, advance inclusive and equal development,  expand open cooperation, and make unremitting efforts to achieve the goal of “Atoms for Peace and Development” and build an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security and common prosperity.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.