China says nuclear power program is safe

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BEIJING, March 6 (UPI) -- A leading Chinese scientist has expressed confidence in China's nuclear power industry, saying the country's nuclear power stations are safe.

"We should have full confidence in the nuclear power safety," Yang Qi, honorary president of the Nuclear Power Institute of China, said.

He made the remarks during the annual session of China's top political advisory body, the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, China's state-run news agency Xinhua reported Monday.

While last year's Fukushima nuclear crisis in Japan aroused concerns over the safety of China's own nuclear power stations among the Chinese general public, Yang said the safety of China's nuclear power stations, in operation or under construction, can be ensured as geologically it is unlikely to see major tsunamis at those sites.

Yang's remarks came just three days after Zhao Qizheng, a spokesman for the CPPCC conference, said China would develop nuclear power in an "extremely safe" way.