urg::: Chinese baulk at full safeguards

[Len Kanaar - FoE Sydney]

The Australian

Chinese baulk at nuclear scrutiny
Catherine Armitage, China correspondent
02sep05

CHINA has refused to commit to international inspections of its 
nuclear power facilities as a condition of buying uranium from 
Australia.

At the same time, China has asked for a joint-venture right to to 
explore for Australian uranium to be included in the nuclear 
safeguards agreement now being negotiated between Canberra and 
Beijing.

China plans to invest $53billion in nuclear power generating capacity 
in the next 15 years by building up to 30 new reactors.

As a global uranium shortage looms, Beijing wants to buy Australian yellowcake.

The Howard Government has declared its willingness as long as China 
agrees to a bilateral nuclear safeguards agreement, as 35 other 
potential international customers for Australian uranium have.

Earlier this year, Canberra set out to Beijing the "non-negotiable" 
conditions that are common to other agreements: that Australian 
uranium be used for peaceful purposes only, and that China permit 
inspections of its nuclear power facilities by the International 
Atomic Energy Agency.

But in China's first public comments on the negotiations, the 
country's leading arms control official, Zhang Yan, yesterday 
declined to commit to IAEA inspections.

Asked by The Australian if he could assure the Australian public that 
China had no in-principle objection to IAEA inspections of its civil 
nuclear power facilities, Mr Zhang said: "I can't give you an 
affirmative answer to that."

He said China was aware of the request and that such issues needed to 
be resolved through negotiations.

Mr Zhang emphasised that China sought to use nuclear energy "purely 
for the purposes of peace".

A government source said China had asked whether its nuclear 
facilities could be subject to inspection by Australian officials 
rather than the IAEA.

This exception to the standard agreement has been agreed between 
Australia and Russia, because Russia, like China, is wary of IAEA 
inspections.

Both countries want to protect "proliferation-sensitive" information 
and technology.

However, China has agreed to IAEA inspections of a number of its 
existing facilities, including the reactors supplied by France and 
Canada.

It is understood Australia told China that IAEA inspections were 
preferable as a measure of good faith.

Canberra has signalled it sees no problem in including uranium 
exploration as a co-operative activity under any bilateral agreement, 
provided there was agreement by all relevant parties, including state 
and territory governments.


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