A CAP1400 project (File photo/CRI Online)
The head of the UN nuclear watchdog on Monday praised China's CAP1400 nuclear reactors, saying the conception of these reactors is "very important for the future of nuclear energy".
CAP1400 is China's self-developed and updated version of third-generation nuclear technology.
Yukiya Amano, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), made the remark after visiting Chinese information stand over nuclear energy development at a nuclear energy exhibition during IAEA's annual General Conference in Vienna.
After Japan's Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011, the center of expansion of use of nuclear power is shifting to the East, with China and India being the centers of the expansion, he said.
China and IAEA enjoy comprehensive cooperation in nuclear energy, as well as nuclear safety, Amano said.
He recalled his visit to China's national center of nuclear security in Beijing in April, saying that "that is very impressive facility and we are very grateful you made the facility available for us", he said.
China had 35 nuclear reactors in commercial operation as of the end of 2016, according to the China Nuclear Energy Association.
Total installed nuclear power capacity in the country jumped 23.8 percent year on year to 33.64 million KW at the end of 2016, and China plans to increase that figure to 58 million KW by 2020, official data show.
