China Suspends Nuclear Power Plant Approval

(Beijing) -- China has suspended approvals of new nuclear power plants and plans to launch a thorough inspection on all existing nuclear facilities, in a bid to improve overall nuclear safety standards following Japan's earthquake-triggered nuclear crisis.

The decision was made on March 16 during a meeting of the State Council presided over by Premier Wen Jiabao. As China's top nuclear power regulatory body, the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) quickly unveiled a series of guidelines advising civil nuclear power plants to take disaster stress tests on planned and existing projects.
 
Follow-up efforts will include additional safeguards to bolster nuclear plants against large natural disasters. Such catastrophes are considered rare, and contingency plans against them are said to be weak.