BEIJING - An official overseeing nuclear safety in China has said the safety of the country's nuclear power facilities is assured and reaffirmed the country's goal of developing the sector.

"The safety of China's nuclear power facilities is guaranteed and China will not abandon its nuclear power plan for fear of slight risks," said Tian Jiashu, director of two nuclear safety centers under the Ministry of Environmental Protection.

He said during a recent interview with People's Daily that strict laws, regulations and technical standards that govern site selection, design, construction, testing, operation and the decommissioning of nuclear power plants were all stringently enforced.

China drew up the codes by taking into account the nuclear standards of developed countries along with the safety recommendations of the International Atomic Energy Agency, he said.

The industry also learned lessons from nuclear accidents in the past and adopted time-tested technology in the design and construction of its nuclear power plants, he added.

According to Tian, there have been no defects observed in China's seven operational nuclear power plants, and the safety indices of the plants were generally higher than the global average.

In addition, China has an emergency response mechanism in place for its nuclear power plants, he said.

Xinhua