The United States and the regulatory China Atomic Energy Authority (CAEA) have commissioned a new nuclear security Center of Excellence (COE) in China, the Department Of Energy (DOE) announced Friday. Officials from the DOE, the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), and Department of Defense worked with the CAEA to open the COE, which is intended to develop Chinese domestic nuclear materials security training, the announcement said. The COE will also “provide a forum for bilateral and regional best practice exchanges, and serve as a venue for demonstrating advanced technologies related to nuclear security,” it said.
The NNSA’s Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation has collaborated with the CAEA on over 50 nuclear security best practices training and technical exchanges, activities that will continue through the COE, the announcement said. It added that the NNSA is “actively engaged with current and planned COEs in Japan, Republic of Korea, and Kazakhstan.” Activities the U.S. supports at COEs around the world include physical protection training, nuclear forensics, nuclear detection technology, and emergency preparedness and response.
