China to draft nuclear law after Japan quake crisis

Beijing: China has stepped up efforts to introduce a law for regulation and management of its nuclear industry in wake of the radiation crisis in Japan.
The drafting of a nuclear energy law is high on central Cabinet legislation agenda for this year as people are raising questions about the safety of reactors following the nuclear crisis in Japan, official China Daily reported today.
Work on the legislation is being seen as more “urgent” than it has been at any time since such a law was first proposed by the former premier Li Peng in 1984 as China started to plan its first civilian nuclear reactor, said an industry insider.
The draft law will include rules governing the exploitation of uranium resources, the management of nuclear materials, facilities, technology and spent nuclear fuel and emergency management as well as damage compensation, it said.