Beefing up nuclear security and fighting against nuclear terrorist activities are among the top priorities of the upcoming Second Nuclear Summit in Seoul, a senior diplomat said on Tuesday.

China will map out measures for beefing up nuclear facilities' security and cracking down on terrorist attempts, China's Assistant Foreign Minister, Ma Zhaoxu, said at a news conference in Beijing to introduce the two-day summit, which will begin on Monday.

"Nuclear proliferation worldwide is on the rise," Ma said, adding that China has provided needed help to other countries in terms of nuclear security.

President Hu Jintao will attend the summit, make major speeches during the two days and hold bilateral meetings with leaders of related countries.

A communique will be released to stress the nuclear security measures, and it is expected that concrete measures and advice will be produced, Ma said.

The Seoul summit, attended by 53 heads of state and chiefs of international organizations, will focus on the security of nuclear material and facilities.

"Nuclear security and nuclear safety are totally separate issues," Ma said, in response to media reports that linked the summit to the nuclear accident in Japan's Fukushima prefecture in March 2011.

Signs of risk remain as international terrorists and criminal organizations conspire theft, sabotage, unauthorized access involving nuclear material and other radioactive substances and their associated facilities, Ma said.

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, around 2,100 cases concerning theft, sabotage and unauthorized access of nuclear materials were reported.

Zhu Xuhui, a researcher with China National Nuclear Corporation, told China Daily that Beijing has implemented its obligations as a responsible member of the international community in recent years.

China has established a nuclear security technology center and is building a new center for nuclear security with the US, Zhu said.

"Beijing's promise to beef up nuclear security did not expire after the Washington summit," he said.

India visit

After the summit, Hu will pay a two-day visit to India and attend the fourth annual summit of BRICS leaders in New Delhi, scheduled from March 28 to 29.

Hu will attend the meeting with his Brazilian counterpart Dilma Rousseff, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, South African President Jacob Zuma and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The banking institutions of BRICS have been "looking into and discussing" ways to create a development bank, Ma said.

A mechanism for investing in local currencies to maximize financial transactions among BRICS member states may also be created, according to analysts. The investments have so far been made in US dollars and euros.

These arrangements could be finalized around the summit of the BRICS nations grouping Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

"The role of emerging markets and the demand for cooperation are both on the rise," Ma said, referring to the background of this year's BRICS summit, adding that intra-group cooperation will not be confined to economic and financial sectors.

"With shared interests and a common or similar take on things, the leaders will quite naturally touch upon issues of mutual global concern," he said.

The member states' positions on the European debt crisis and the World Bank's top job - which until now has been held by Americans - "will likely come up in these discussions", Ma said.

(China Daily 03/21/2012 page11)