Steel dome for Unit 3 of China's Haiyang nuclear power plant lifted into place

The steel dome for the nuclear island of Unit 3 of the Haiyang nuclear power plant in Haiyang City, east China's Shandong Province, was successfully lifted into place on Sunday morning.

This represents that construction of the nuclear unit's main building has been basically completed.

The steel dome is the final module of the containment building for Unit 3, with construction now transitioning to the next phase, which involves the installation of the passive safety water tank and other equipment.

The dome measures about 41 meters in diameter and around 11 meters in height with a weight of nearly 1,000 tons.

"The steel dome is the roof of the nuclear unit's containment building, supporting the passive safety water tank above. It provides protection for the nuclear reactor against tsunamis, aircraft collisions, and other threats. It is a critical structure that ensures the integrity and airtightness of the containment building and its internal components," said Zhao Qingshi, a senior engineer with the Shandong Nuclear Power Co., Ltd., the plant's operator.

To ensure the steel dome was positioned accurately, the construction team conducted a full-process rehearsal and thorough checks.

"The Haiyang nuclear power plant uses third-generation passive safety advanced pressurized water reactor technology for all six of its operational, under-construction, and planned power units. In extreme situations, nearly 3,000 tons of water stored in the passive safety water tank will flow down by gravity to cool the containment building of the nuclear island, ensuring safe operation for up to 72 hours without human intervention, in conjunction with other passive safety measures," said Chen Lianfa, a chief engineer with the company.

As the key national projects, Units 3 and 4 of the Haiyang nuclear power plant are expected to enter full operation in 2027.

Once completed, the four nuclear power units at the plant will generate up to 40 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, meeting the power needs of half of Shandong's population.

Steel dome for Unit 3 of China's Haiyang nuclear power plant lifted into place

The Global Security Initiative (GSI) proposed by China has shifted the paradigm in thinking about global security away from the traditional zero-sum mentality toward a vision rooted in dialogue and development, said a Chinese expert on Tuesday.

In April 2022, China proposed the Global Security Initiative (GSI), which aims to create a new path to security that prioritizes dialogue over confrontation, partnership over alliance, and win-win over zero-sum thinking.

The initiative provides a new course and approach to addressing the root causes of international conflicts and solving security challenges facing humanity.

During an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Wang Xinsong, associate professor at the School of Government at Beijing Normal University, hailed the initiative's importance amid escalating global challenges.

"It's been four years and we have witnessed that the Global Security Initiative or GSI has transformed from a framework in principle to an action plan with many actions having taken place in mediating the conflicts. The major difference between the GSI and the traditional and the existing mainstream idea about global security is that the mainstream idea is being the zero-sum mentality where the belief is that one country's safety is possible only if its neighbors safety is not existent. The GSI shifts the paradigm in thinking about global security away from the zero-sum mentality by arguing that security at the end of the day is very much related to development," Wang said.

Over the past four years, China has consistently promoted the implementation of the GSI. By the end of 2025, the initiative has received support and appreciation from more than 130 countries and regions, as well as international organizations, and has been explicitly incorporated into more than 140 bilateral and multilateral documents at home and abroad.

China's Global Security Initiative shifts paradigm away from traditional zero-sum mentality: expert