A crane lifts a dome to cover the containment structure for No.1 reactor of the Changjiang nuclear power plant at its construction site in Changjiang, in southern China's Hainan province, Dec. 28, 2011.
China’s nuclear capability is growing fast. After Fukushima, the country briefly suspended the approval process for nuclear power stations to allow for safety inspections. But, as of March 2012, China is expected to push ahead with about 100 projects and aims to have 66 power plants by 2020. According to China National Nuclear Corporation, China spent $280 million on independent nuclear research and development in 2011, an increase of 20% from 2010. Analysts worry that the sector’s growth is “too rapid.” “If we are not fully aware of the sector’s over-rapid expansions, it will threaten construction quality and operation safety of nuclear power plants,” Li Ganjie, the head of China’s National Nuclear Safety Administration told TIME in 2009.
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