Three Chinese nuclear power plants are located near Vietnam.

Following the commissioning of three Chinese nuclear power plants near Vietnam, the Ministry of Science and Technology announced it will negotiate with China on early warning systems in case of incidents and install several monitoring stations in the area.

Three nuclear power plants in southern China have recently commenced commercial operation: Fangcheng (Guangxi) with a capacity of 1,000 MW, Changjiang (Guangdong) with 600 MW, and the 650 MW unit of Xiangjiang (Hainan Island).

These factories are all located near Vietnam's northern border, the closest being Fangcheng, only 50 km from Mong Cai, Quang Ninh, and less than 500 km from Hanoi.

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), as of September 20, 2016, China had 35 operational nuclear power plants with a total capacity of 31,617 MW. In addition, many more are under construction or planned for the future. To meet electricity demand, the country plans to operate 100 nuclear power plants by 2030 and 170 plants with a capacity of 195,000 MW by 2050.

Despite being a new generation of safe technology, China's construction of numerous nuclear power plants, especially its plans to expand into areas bordering Vietnam, has caused concern among many domestic experts.

According to a nuclear safety expert, nuclear incidents are extremely dangerous because they release radiation over a wide area. Therefore, Vietnam needs to strengthen monitoring and implement timely solutions when incidents occur, while also establishing a mechanism for regular communication with China.

China's nuclear power plant construction plan. Note: Green (operational), blue (under construction), and red (planning), including the Fangchenggang (Guangxi) nuclear power plant. Image: Source www.world-nuclear.org.

According to nuclear power expert Le Van Hong, China, or any country for that matter, conducts thorough safety and environmental impact assessments when building nuclear power plants, under the scrutiny of multiple agencies. This is accompanied by an emergency response and prevention system.

"When China undertakes nuclear projects, it naturally takes into account ensuring the safety of its own people, so Vietnamese people can be somewhat reassured," Mr. Hong said, while also recommending that Vietnam proactively develop response plans, build a monitoring system, and provide timely warnings to people in affected areas.

Mr. Vuong Huu Tan, Director of the Department of Radiation and Nuclear Safety (Ministry of Science and Technology), said that Vietnam has participated in many international conventions, including the Convention on Early Notification of Nuclear Accidents. This means that in the event of any nuclear accident, the international notification network will provide information to Vietnam.

Both Vietnam and China are members of the Nuclear Safety Convention, and each member has the right to request the other member to report on the safety status of any plant. "In the near future, the Department will work with the Chinese nuclear safety agency to agree on the exchange of information on this matter," Mr. Tan said.

Regarding the environmental radiation monitoring and warning network system, Mr. Nguyen Hao Quang, Deputy Director of the Atomic Energy Institute, said that in addition to the two national environmental radiation monitoring and warning stations at the Da Lat Nuclear Research Institute and the Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology, the Ministry has installed online monitoring systems in Mong Cai, Lang Son, and Lao Cai. Vietnam also has a national station of the Military Science Institute (Ministry of National Defense) that can monitor at sea.

According to VNE