(ZHANG GUOJUN)

The Ningde Nuclear Power Station in southeast China's Fujian Province.

China has continuously improved nuclear security, and the safety of its nuclear power plants can be assured, the National Nuclear Safety Administration (NNSA) said on May 11.

The country has stepped up checks on nuclear facilities since Japan's nuclear meltdown in 2011, when a massive quake and tsunami crippled the Fukushima Daiichi reactor and left more than 18,000 people dead or missing. In 2012, a medium-term nuclear safety plan was passed, curbing nuclear pollution as well as raising security at nuclear facilities.

China has 17 nuclear power stations in operation with a total installed capacity of 14.8 million kilowatts. A further 28 units are under construction.