Sergey Sanakoyev, chairman of the board of Russian-Chinese Trade-Economic Cooperation Center, member of Executive Committee of Russian-Chinese Friendship Association

– We hope that our cooperation with China under nuclear energy programs will be developed

China is going to redouble its plans to enhance its nuclear power generating capacities by 2020. A representative of the National Energy Administration of Chine says that by 2020 the full capacity of Chinese nuclear power plants will amount to 75GW instead of 40GW declared in 2007. The revised version of the program will shortly be submitted for the approval of the State Council of China.

China is working for the long-term future and not only in nuclear power engineering but in all of its industries. Its goal is to increase demand and thereby to create stimuli for employment and crediting. So, the plans to build new nuclear reactors are part of the general national program. The Chinese are able to do it as this will help them to overcome the crisis.

Today, China’s demand for energy is growing and the Chinese are trying to actively diversify their energy sources so as to avoid dependence on oil and gas supplies and to reduce the negative impacts on its environment. However, in order to be absolutely safe, nuclear energy needs close control.

That’s why we must offer high-quality products lest our potential partners (I mean not only China) might have problems with safety. As far as I know, China and neighboring Japan set very tough requirements to safety.

We very much hope that our specialists will build the 3rd and 4th units of Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant and that the cooperation with China in the field of peaceful use of nuclear energy will be developed especially given the scale of China’s programs.

As regards Rosatom’s participation in new projects, we are facing very tough competition in this field. But we have good advantages and chances and we must use them. I hope that everything will be done well here — I, first of all, mean negotiations – and we will be actively involved in these projects.