Chief Executive Fernando Chui Sai On said Tuesday that the central government was “deeply concerned about the safety of Macau’s residents,” amid concerns about safety at the still under-construction Taishan Nuclear Power Plant.
Chui also vowed that his government will always be in close contact with the Guangdong provincial government about the plant’s construction progress and operation.
Chui made the comments during a press briefing about the 2016 Macau-Guangdong Joint Co-operation Conference at the Macau East Asian Games Dome in Cotai. Chui talked about the nuclear plant before answering reporters’ questions.
The nuclear plant, roughly 70 km south-west of Macau, is set to start operating next year.
The local government asked central government officials and nuclear engineers to attend a special press conference last Friday in Macau about the national nuclear power policy and the construction of the Taishan Nuclear Power Plant. The engineers said that the design of the reactors was extremely safe and reliable, adding that the risk of an occurrence of a serious nuclear accident like the ones at Three Mile Island in the United States, Chernobyl and Fukushima was very low.
Chui also said the local government clearly understood the public’s widespread concerns about the safety risk of the plant, adding that as a result his government had raised the concerns with the Guangdong government through their communication mechanism.
“We agreed that we have to ensure the safety of residents in both places [Macau and Guangdong] and to have a better understanding of their worries”, Chui said.
Chui also tried to reassure the public by mentioning the central government’s awareness of local residents’ concerns. “The central government is deeply concerned about the safety of Macau residents and the stability of its society. [As a result], it has provided the [local] government with relevant information… the construction of the Taishan Nuclear Power Plant is being monitored by the [relevant] authority of our country [National Nuclear Safety Administration],” said Chui, adding that “its construction and safety standards are fully in line with the country’s relevant laws and regulations.”
The subject of Macau’s single-plated cars entering Hengqin was included in an agreement also signed by both parties. However, details will only be announced in the future, said the Chief Executive.
(Macau News / The Macau Post Daily)
