A meeting of the State Council on March 16, presided by Premier Wen Jiabao, decided to suspend approval for new nuclear power plants, and emphasized the importance and urgency of nuclear safety. This is a welcome move, given the public anxiety, says an article in Beijing News. Excerpts:

The accident in Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant shows that nuclear safety is closely related with public safety. The crisis in Japan teaches us to tighten safety supervision of nuclear facilities, improve safety planning, and make the nuclear power issue more transparent without compromising national security.

The accident at the Japanese nuclear power plant raises a lot of questions.

The Japanese nuclear authorities had taken all possible precautions against quakes but not against tsunamis, although the plant was on the seafront. That should be a lesson, though a tragic one, for everyone.

The key issue is how to meet the energy demand without jeopardizing public safety. To do that, China has to first raise the level of safety and management in its nuclear power industry.

Moreover, educating the public about the necessity of nuclear power and the security issues involved is very important. And public opinion, especially those of local residents, should be respected while selecting nuclear plant sites.

If these are not done, it will increase public misunderstanding and lead to unnecessary panic.

(China Daily 03/22/2011 page9)