Obama administration sources tell ABC News that President Obama later today announced an agreement between the U.S. and the People’s Republic of China to establish a “Center of Excellence” in China to promote effective nuclear security and safeguards. The Center of Excellence, to be jointly financed, will be a place where technical information can be shared, training courses can be offered, and collaborations can be promoted to “enhance nuclear security in China and throughout Asia,” the White House says. “It will also help meet the training needs for China’s expanding nuclear sector, and promote nuclear security best practices throughout the region.”
The White House says that the agreement will allow Pentagon and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) – which is part of the US Department of Energy – to work with officials of the China Atomic Energy Authority (CAEA) to develop a central site “for training in all aspects of nuclear security.”
A memorandum of understanding has already been signed by US Secretary of Energy Steven Chu and CAEA Chairman Chen Qiufa, who also serves as Director of China’s State Administration for Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense as well as Vice-Minister of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. News of the cooperative venture was first reported by the Associated Press.
