China is set to strengthen its nuclear cooperation with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, Huang Ping, Secretary General of the China Atomic Energy Authority (CAEA) said on Monday, as he highlighted the country's growing nuclear industry and longtime cooperation with international agencies that will help provide high-quality products and services.
The First China-GCC Forum on the Peaceful Use of Nuclear Technology opened on Monday in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, gathering officials and nuclear experts from China, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, and other GCC countries to discuss opportunities, challenges and collaborative solutions for the development of nuclear energy technology.
In an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN) on the sidelines of the forum, Huang noted that China has a fast-growing nuclear industry, with nuclear technologies used across many industries and sectors, while the country's longtime cooperation with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is helping it to provide high-quality products and services.
"Nuclear technologies are widely applied across many areas, including industry, agriculture, healthcare, environmental protection, and safety. Back in 2015, the industry had a scale of about 300 billion yuan (over 41 billion U.S. dollars) and by 2022, the number grew to 700 billion yuan (about 96 billion U.S. dollars)," said Huang.
"Through our cooperation with IAEA, we have built a comprehensive nuclear safety regulatory system in China. Based on this, we can further cooperate with the IAEA and provide products and services to more developing countries," he added.
Huang said a nuclear security demonstration center that will be established under the strengthened collaboration will help GCC countries enhance security capacity and promote the development of their nuclear energy sectors.
"Currently, an important project we are working on is the establishment of a China-GCC nuclear security demonstration center. This project will help improve the GCC countries' ability to prevent nuclear terrorism, ensure public safety, and better promote the development of their nuclear energy sectors," he said.
China to strengthen nuclear cooperation with GCC countries: official
The Iranian government is focusing on public concerns and maintaining stable supplies of essential goods amid recent protests, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a televised interview on Sunday.
In the city of Karaj, northwest of the capital Tehran, daily life has largely continued as normal. A video filmed by a local resident on Sunday shows food stores open and grocery shelves fully stocked.
"This is the block near my home, and there are some food stores here. Daily life continues here. Last night we did not see many protests in Karaj. Right now the city is very safe. This is a grocery store close to my home. All the food is available; nothing is in shortage. Here are noodles and different types of beans. Here are dairy products, cheese, and yogurt. I also checked other grocery stores and didn't see any shortages. Everything is available," said local resident Ali Reza.
Iranian officials have described recent disturbances as acts orchestrated by the "enemy," including some carried out by well-trained and armed "terrorists." The incidents have caused casualties among security personnel and civilians, as well as property damage.
The Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani has directed authorities to severely punish the "terrorists."
Meanwhile, Iran's police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan said on Sunday that the police had raised alert levels and arrested several leaders of the troublemakers during the operations on Saturday.
President Pezeshkian noted in the interview that the normal demands of the Iranian people are reasonable and justified, but they must realize that triggering riots and carrying out terrorist acts are the enemy's attempts to undermine the country. He urged the public to remain vigilant.
Also on Sunday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned that Tehran would regard U.S. and Israeli bases and facilities in the Middle East as "legitimate targets" if Washington takes military action against Iran. His remarks followed media reports saying U.S. President Donald Trump is "seriously considering authorizing a strike" against Iran.
Iranian state media reported that at least 109 members of Iran's security forces have been killed in clashes since the protests began 14 days ago. Meanwhile, human rights groups based outside the country said the number of protesters killed has exceeded 200, though the figure could not be independently verified.
The protests initially erupted over a sharp depreciation of the rial and sweeping subsidy reforms. Iranian authorities have blamed the unrest on foreign-linked agents and sanctions imposed by the United States.
Iranian president says government focusing on ensuring supplies amid protests
