A Chinese envoy on Tuesday reiterated China active advocacy for the peaceful use of nuclear technology to benefit the Global South.
Li Song, China's permanent representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), made the remark while attending the agency's September Board of Governors meeting on Tuesday, where he provided an overview of China's nuclear science, technology, and applications.
Noting that this year marks the 40th anniversary of China's membership in the IAEA. Li expressed China's willingness to take this opportunity to further strengthen comprehensive cooperation with the agency and its member states.
After the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) was successfully held in Beijing, nuclear energy and technology cooperation will become an important direction for further strengthening exchanges and cooperation between China and Africa, benefiting African countries and the Global South, he said.
China is willing to work with the IAEA's member states to actively implement global development initiatives through concrete efforts, jointly advance global development cooperation, and jointly promote the development of the peaceful use of nuclear energy and nuclear technology, Li noted.
He pointed out that over the past year, the IAEA has played an increasingly important role in promoting the use of nuclear energy to address climate change, achieve net zero carbon emissions, and accelerate energy transformation.
China supports a series of significant initiatives proposed by IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, including the application of nuclear technology in cancer treatment, food security, and environmental pollution control, urging the agency to respond positively to the urgent needs of developing countries, focus on development cooperation, benefit the global South, effectively enhance the nuclear technology application capabilities of member states, and contribute to the realization of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, said Li.
The Chinese envoy stressed that China stays committed to the safe and orderly development of nuclear power, viewing nuclear energy as a crucial pillar for ensuring energy security, addressing climate change, and peaking carbon emissions and achieving carbon neutrality.
He also highlighted China's active support for training talents in developing countries.
Last week, a training program to cultivate radiation therapy physicists for African countries was launched in Chengdu, capital city of the southwestern province of Sichuan.
Started by the China Atomic Energy Authority (CAEA) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the program is scheduled to train radiation therapy physicists for cancer and tumor treatment from 15 African countries.
China calls for peaceful use of nuclear tech to benefit global South: envoy
