CRI听力:US Highlights the Security of Nuclear Materials

Last year's meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan has brought waves of international call to highlight the inadequate measures in dealing with the safety of nuclear facilities. However, despite warning from some experts, Washington maintains to keep the focus of this week's Nuclear Security Summit in South Korea on preventing terrorists from obtaining atomic materials.

Dr. Richard Weitz, a Senior Fellow of the Hudson Institute, explains.

"The nuclear security summit was set up specifically two years ago and this one as well to deal with the security of nuclear materials from terrorists. In terms of the atomic accident at Fukushima or elsewhere, that was done by the International Atomic Energy Agency. That's the right organ. That's the organization to deal with nuclear safety. The security summit has a different purpose."

Dr. Weitz notes that progress has been made over the last two years since world leaders made their political pledges at the Washington Summit in 2010.

"As far as we know it certainly got lots of attention. It's a high priority issue for the Obama administration. Different countries have made pledges to eliminate some of their most dangerous nuclear materials. For example, instead of making highly enriched uranium for their reactors, they now make lower enriched uranium which is less useful for acts of terrorism of nuclear bombs. So there has been some progress."

He also highlights China's effort in dealing with nuclear terrorism.

"China is taking a very deep role, trying to combat global nuclear terrorism. China and US are cooperating very closely on this issue. Even though sometimes we disagree over some proliferation issues, like Iran and North Korea, on the nuclear terrorism issue, it's an excellent cooperation."

Dr. Weitz believes that the Seoul Nuclear Security Summit will continue to provide a top-level platform for world leaders to coordinate international efforts to combat nuclear terrorism as well as non-proliferation issues.

Xiaohong, CRI News, Washington.