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Read original →Can China Overtake Russia in the Race for Nuclear Leadership?
An analysis of China's nuclear industry development: from technological dependence to 95% localization. A comparison of Chinese and Russian nuclear technologies, export potential, and prospects for competition in the global nuclear power plant market.
AI summary
China is demonstrating impressive progress in nuclear energy, having traveled the path from technological isolation to virtually complete self-sufficiency. It accounts for nearly half of all nuclear power plant units under construction worldwide, and the equipment localization level has exceeded 95%. Despite Russia's current leadership in the export of nuclear technologies, China is actively building up its potential and may become a serious competitor in the long term.
The Evolution of China's Nuclear Industry
On March 23, 2026, Russia and Vietnam signed an intergovernmental agreement to build the Ninh Thuan-1 nuclear power plant. After lengthy and difficult deliberations, the country's leadership ultimately decided to partner with Russia's state corporation Rosatom. Among the potential contractors under consideration was China's China Power Engineering Consulting Company, which submitted its proposal twice.
Despite Western companies and Russia's Rosatom historically being considered the key players in nuclear energy, China has every chance of establishing its leadership in this sector in the future.
The path to building China's nuclear industry was challenging. The starting point can be traced to 1955, when the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China adopted a decision to develop nuclear energy in the country. The Soviet Union provided significant assistance at the time, sending not only technology but also approximately ten thousand of its own specialists to China.
After the breakdown in relations, China remained in technological isolation for a considerable period (from 1960 to 1978) and was forced to rely on its own developments. Nevertheless, it was during this period that the atomic and hydrogen bombs were created, as well as a nuclear submarine.
With the launch of reform and opening-up policies in 1978, China began gradually converting military nuclear technologies to civilian use. Moreover, active implementation of joint projects with foreign companies began. It was then that close cooperation with France enabled improvements to China's own technological solutions in nuclear energy.
Finally, from the 2010s to the present, we can observe the emergence of so-called national "champions"—Chinese corporations including China National Nuclear Corporation and China General Nuclear Power Group, which not only fully supply the domestic market but are also entering the global stage with their own technologies.