2016年CRI US Officials, Nuclear Experts Praise Xi's Speech at Nuclear Security Summit

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Dan Lipman, vice¹ president of the Washington-based Nuclear Energy Institute, said Xi Jinping's words show there is "good agreement" between China and the United States on the threats that they face.

"Nuclear security is very critical for the U.S. nuclear industry and you know we expect that the kinds of agreements we have with our Chinese friends, both at the government level but especially at the civilian² level, can increase and improve both safety and security. So I think President Xi's speech is a call to action and that we in the civilian nuclear industry globally, not just China and the U.S. but globally, all need to do our part and contribute our resources and effectiveness to maintain nuclear security."

Thomas Countryman, assistant secretary of the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, said he agreed with the Chinese leader regarding his comments about nuclear terrorism.

"He's right. It is the possibility of nuclear terrorism that first motivated President Obama to begin this nuclear security summit process. We have greatly reduced the possibility that terrorists can get nuclear explosive material. But the threat is not yet down to zero, so we have to keep working on it. And on the second point the president made, I think that President Xi is right that there is a stronger global line of defense³, greater communication among countries, greater similarities in protecting this material."

Bonnie Jenkins is coordinator⁴ for Threat Reduction Programs in the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation under the U.S. State Department.

She said the President gave a "very strong speech about the importance of nuclear security."

"I think it reflects the importance that China is seeing in terms of nuclear security and the work that we have been able to do with China in the past few years, particularly with the summit. China opened up its Center of Excellence⁵ about a week and a half ago, and I think that really reflects the fact that China is serious about this issue. Particularly since it's the last summit in this format⁶, this is a good time to do something like this because it shows that we want to continue to work with China and sustain this work of the summit past today."

The Center of Excellence (CoE) on Nuclear Security was launched in Beijing on March 18.

It is the largest nuclear program financed by both the Chinese and U.S. governments, and also the largest nuclear security center in the Asia-Pacific region.

Jenkins said she expects China will play a bigger role in the field of international nuclear security in the future and that there will be more cooperation between China and the United States.