Mainland nuclear power stations are implementing measures to raise safety standards in a bid to fix loopholes exposed in an ongoing national inspection of nuclear facilities.
As part of the effort, the China National Nuclear Corp has begun to raise dykes around its reactors at its Qinshan plant in Zhejiang province.
On top of this, new rules for the siting of nuclear power plants mean reactors will be built at least 25 metres above sea level, compared to 10 metres under the existing standards.
The safety checks on existing facilities and those under construction were demanded by Premier Wen Jiabao following Japan's nuclear calamity in March.
The review's initial conclusions indicate that most reactors at three major nuclear plants would be vulnerable to multiple and extreme natural disasters, even though they met existing national standards, mainland media reported.
Zou Shuliang, of the international co-operation department under the China Atomic Energy Authority, stressed the importance of stepping up disaster-proofing measures yesterday.
'Although we have already rolled out comprehensive safety standards, we should bear in mind about our limit in understanding Mother Nature,' he said.
