Regulatory transparency—How China can learn from Japanʹs nuclear regulatory failures?

Investigations before and after the Fukushima nuclear accident revealed nuclear accidents like Fukushima would have unlikely happened in a country with transparency and public participation regarding nuclear issues. However, this lack of transparency and public involvement is unique not only to Japan. China is rushing to build reactors, hosting over 40% of the reactors under construction worldwide, but transparency and public involvement is overlooked and even discouraged. Chinaʹs nuclear policymaking has relied heavily on closed panels of expert opinions, exclusive of public oversight or awareness. In China, public involvement of nuclear policies has not been welcomed. The lack of public participation has streamlined and simplified building procedures for nuclear reactors, which facilitated building too many reactors too fast. There are currently 27 reactors under construction in China that vary in the use of generations II, III, and IV reactors. No other country in history has experienced nuclear energy expansion with so many different types of reactors under simultaneous construction in such a short time. To prevent the next Fukushima, more efforts are required not to repeat the same mistake made by Japan; China should encourage public participation and awareness regarding nuclear issues by giving high priority to a transparent approach.