China planning to build nuclear plants for South China Sea

China is planning to build maritime nuclear power platforms to support its projects in the disputed South China Sea. China claims almost the entire South China Sea, which also contains some of the world’s busiest sea lanes. “The nuclear power platforms could ‘sail’ to remote areas and provide a stable power supply,” said The Global Times, a Chinese newspaper. The report quoted Liu Zhengguo, head of the general office of China Shipbuilding Industry Corp, which is in charge of designing and building the platforms, as saying that the company is “pushing forward the work”.

“The development of nuclear power platforms is a burgeoning trend,” Mr Liu said. “The exact number of plants to be built (by the company) depends on the market demand.” The paper also mentioned a January report from the China Securities Journal that a demonstration platform is expected to be completed by 2018 and put into service by the next year.

China’s claim in the region is disputed by other countries, including Vietnam and the Philippines. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi repeatedly said that disputes should be resolved peacefully through negotiation between the parties directly concerned. China has been enraged by a case by the Philippines in an international arbitration against China’s South China Sea. Beijing has said that it will neither participate in the case nor accept it.

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