The safety of China's nuclear power facilities is assured, said an official supervising nuclear safety in the country, adding that the country will continue its goal of developing the sector.

"The safety of China's nuclear power facilities is guaranteed and China will not abandon its nuclear power plan for fear of slight risks," said Tian Jiashu, director of two nuclear safety centers under the Ministry of Environmental Protection.

Strict laws, regulations and technical standards?regarding site selection, design, construction, testing, operation and the decommissioning of nuclear power plants were all stringently implemented, Tian?said during a recent interview with People's Daily.

China drew up the codes by taking into account the nuclear standards of developed countries along with the safety recommendations of the International Atomic Energy Agency, he said.

The industry also learned lessons from nuclear accidents in the past and adopted time-tested technology in the design and construction of its nuclear power plants, he added.

According to Tian, there have been no defects observed in China's seven operational nuclear power plants, and the safety indices of the plants were generally higher than the global average.

In addition, China has an emergency response mechanism in place for its nuclear power plants, he said.

Currently, China has 13?nuclear power?reactors in operation, with a total generating capacity of 10.8 gW, about 1.12 percent of the total power generation, and an additional 28 units, with a total capacity of 30.97 gW, are under construction, according to the latest statistics from the National Energy Administration (NEA).

The country plans to increase the total installed capability of nuclear power to 49 gW by 2015 and 70 to 80 gW by 2020.

China's nuclear power will account for 6 percent of its total electricity generation by 2020.