FM: MOX fuel not for military purposes ( 2003-12-09 22:47) (China Daily)
China Tuesday reiterated that the proposed purchase of a mixed oxide fuel
(MOX) production facility from Germany's Siemens is strictly for civilian, not
military purposes.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said MOX fuel, which is composed of
uranium and plutonium, can be used in nuclear generation of electricity.
However, the proposed deal has caused an uproar in Germany, where several
legislators have expressed fears that the equipment could help China's nuclear
weapons programme.
"These worries are over-sensitive,'' said Liu at Tuesday's regular news
briefing. "This fuel in China will be used for peaceful purposes. I would like
to emphasize that.''
Liu said as far as he knew, MOX is used in more than 30 light-water reactors
and over 20 fast neutron reactors in countries such as France, Japan and the
United States.
He told reporters that China is still negotiating the deal with the German
side.
Details of the plan emerged last week when Schroeder, visiting China, said
the Chinese had expressed interest in buying equipment from Germany that can
convert plutonium and uranium to so-called mixed-oxide, or MOX, fuel for nuclear
power plants.
Turning to the topic of the unsettled standoff on the Korean Peninsula, the
spokesman said China will, as always, push for the continuance of the six-party
talks.
"For China, the most important thing is to consult with all parties concerned
to find common ground to restart the talks,'' Liu said.
He noted that solving the nuclear issue of the Democratic People's Republic
of Korea (DPRK) is a very complicated process which cannot be accomplished by
one single effort.
The spokesman said China supports the efforts made by the European Union (EU)
to defuse the unsettled crisis with the DPRK.
A nine-member European Union delegation left for the DPRK via Beijing on
Tuesday for a three-day visit aimed at pushing forward the proposed second round
of six-party talks.
Liu said the EU delegates exchange views with Fu Ying, head of the Asian
Affairs Department under the Foreign Ministry, when they arrived in Beijing on
Tuesday.
