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Chen Yunlin (R front), president of the mainland-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) and Chiang Pin-kung (L front), chairman of the Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) shake hands in north China's Tianjin Municipality, Oct. 20, 2011. ARATS and SEF signed an agreement on cross-strait cooperation on nuclear power safety on Thursday.(Xinhua/Zhang Chaoqun)
TIANJIN/TAIPEI -- Chinese mainland and Taiwan negotiators on Thursday afternoon signed an agreement on cross-Strait cooperation on nuclear power safety.
According to the agreement, the two sides will cooperate and hold exchanges concerning regulations and standards for nuclear power safety, analysis and evaluation of experiences, basic information on nuclear power plants, management of outdated power stations, emergency reporting, radiation monitoring around nuclear power plants, and information transparency.
The agreement was signed by the mainland's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) and the Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF).
The mainland and Taiwan should each organize their own nuclear power safety work teams and launch their first meeting within two months after the agreement takes effect to discuss detailed issues covering information sharing and various exchange programs, said the document.
The agreement is expected to boost cross-Strait cooperation in the monitoring of nuclear power safety and pave the way for an information reporting system between the two sides to ensure the health of the environment and residents of both sides.
Wang Jianmin, research fellow of the Institute of Taiwan Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that the problem of how to strengthen cooperation on nuclear power safety across the Taiwan Strait is a common concern of the people on both sides after Japan's nuclear power plant disaster triggered by the strong earthquake in March.
"With the mutual efforts made by both sides of the Taiwan Strait, the ARATS and SEF signed the agreement quite soon. It fully reflects that the institutionalized negotiations between the ARATS and SEF are efficient," said Wang.
Ouyang Min-shen, chairman of the Taiwan nuclear technology alliance, said that "the agreement is important, as it starts the formal cooperation and exchanges across the Taiwan Strait on nuclear power safety."
The establishment of information reporting system on nuclear power safety will reassure people on both sides of the Strait, and more exchanges across the Strait can be expected in the future on nuclear power safety, he said.
"It is a piece of great news. We support it," said Lin Xiao'en, a Taiwan compatriot who is living in Shanghai, adding that the safety of living environment is very important for the people on both sides of the Strait. In case of emergencies, Taiwan and the mainland can help each other and overcome difficulties together.
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