The People's Republic of China is in the legislative approval process of the draft Atomic Energy Law which recently passed the second review of the National People's Congress (NPC) in April 2025. The country is also rapidly expanding its national nuclear power program, accounting for nearly half of all power reactors currently under construction worldwide.
An IAEA legislative assistance mission was conducted on 26-30 May 2025 in Beijing and Hainan at the request of the China Atomic Energy Authority (CAEA). The mission included the country's first ever IAEA national training course on nuclear law covering safety, security, liability, and the elements of a comprehensive national nuclear law, as well as the technical cooperation programme. Six high-level bilateral meetings on nuclear law were also held with several key stakeholders.
Opening the training course, Jinjun Wang, Deputy Director General of the CAEA, said: "International engagement like this course is vital for developing a robust and modernized national legal framework, one that nurtures a well-informed nuclear industry. It also strengthens future global collaboration by deepening our understanding of the international legal framework and other countries' legal systems."
The mission followed a bilateral meeting held earlier that month at IAEA Headquarters, where discussions were held on nuclear law and the legal frameworks for new nuclear technologies such as small modular reactors (SMRs) and fusion, as well as the high-level meeting held in October 2025 which focused on China's draft Atomic Energy Law.
We see this activity as the foundation for future nuclear law cooperation with the IAEA Office of Legal Affairs.
Bilateral meeting with Jinjun Wang, Deputy Director General of the CAEA, and other CAEA officials. (Photo: CAEA)
"The IAEA's recent support on our draft Atomic Energy Law was highly appreciated and has been instrumental in our efforts to strengthen the national nuclear legal framework, especially as the draft has now passed its second legislative review and may be adopted later this year," said Chen Guogang, Deputy Director General of the State Law Department of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the Standing Committee of the NPC. "As we continue to consider other areas of legislative development such as radioactive waste management and civil liability for nuclear damage, the IAEA's expertise in nuclear law is expected to be beneficial."
Bilateral meeting with Chen Guogang, Deputy Director General of the State Law Department of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the Standing Committee of the NPC, and other officials. (Photo: CAEA)
With the support of the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) and two of its subsidiaries, the China National Nuclear Power Corporation and Hainan Nuclear Power Co., Ltd, the national training course was conducted in South China's Hainan Province, the location of Linglong-1 (ACP100) - the world's first commercial onshore SMR located at the Changjiang Nuclear Power Plant. The course brought together more than 60 participants representing over twenty national stakeholders including officials, technical support organisations, law firms and professors from several universities.
Together with the IAEA's Office of the Deputy Director General for Technical Cooperation, six high-level bilateral meetings were held with the Legislative Committee of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), the CAEA, the National Nuclear Safety Administration (NNSA), the SNSTC, the CNNC and the China Institute for Atomic Energy (CIAE).
During the meeting with CNNC, Zhaohui LI, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer, stated that "CNNC intends to increase the participation in the Agency's nuclear law related activities as an opportunity to build our own capabilities while also sharing China's operational experience within the framework of the country's legal system. This training course provides an excellent platform for the government, industry and other stakeholders to exchange views and further foster a mutual understanding of international and national nuclear law."
The high-level meetings aimed to raise awareness about the international legal instruments and the importance of a comprehensive national legislation to ensure the safe, secure and peaceful use of nuclear technologies.
Closing the training course on nuclear law, Anthony Wetherall, Head of the Nuclear and Treaty Law Section, IAEA Office of Legal Affairs, highlighted that "The continuous development of a robust and comprehensive national legal framework, together with a growing pool of professionals knowledgeable in nuclear law, can help underpin the country's rapid progress in nuclear technology development, including new technologies. We therefore stand ready to continue to support efforts to enhance the legal framework and build capacity in this field, upon request."
Abdelmadjid Cherf, IAEA legal expert and former IAEA Senior Legal Officer, delivering a presentation on terminology used in nuclear law at the national training course. (Photo: CAEA)
The mission also included visits to the Hainan Changjiang Nuclear Power Plant and CIAE's experimental fast reactor located in Beijing. The mission was conducted within the framework of the IAEA Legislative Assistance Programme and organized through an inter-regional project of the IAEA technical cooperation programme.
