Australia starts shipping uranium to China

Australia’s minister of resources and energy, Martin Ferguson, has welcomed the first shipment of uranium to China, following the earlier signing of a bilateral safeguards agreement between the two countries.

Energy Resources of Australia (ERA) announced sales contracts with China following the signing of bilateral treaties enabling exports. Details about the shipment to China – including the quantity and destination – were not disclosed. Uranium is currently mined at three locations in Australia: BHP Billiton’s Olympic Dam and Heathgate Resources’ Beverley mine, both in South Australia; and ERA’s Ranger mine in Northern Territory.

In April 2006, Australia and China signed two bilateral safeguards agreements that would open the way for Australia to supply uranium to China’s growing nuclear energy industry. The Nuclear Material Transfer Agreement and Nuclear Cooperation Agreement put in place strict safeguards to ensure that Australian uranium supplied to China will be used solely to produce electricity. The Nuclear Transfer Agreement allows Australian uranium to be used in designated Chinese nuclear facilities, while the Nuclear Cooperation Agreement allows, among other things, for China to explore for uranium in Australia.

China tested nukes for Pakistan, gave design

The whistleblower isn’t a think-tank academic or an unnamed official speaking on background. Thomas Reed, described as a former U.S ”nuclear weaponeer” and a Secretary of the Air Force (1976-77) writes in the latest issue of Physics Today that China’s transfers to Pakistan included blueprints for the ultrasimple CHIC-4 design using highly enriched uranium, first tested by China in 1966. A Pakistani derivative of CHIC-4 apparently was tested in China on 26 May 1990, he adds.

Reed makes an even more stunning disclosure, saying Deng not only authorized proliferation to Pakistan, but also, “in time, to other third world countries.” The countries are not named. He also says that during the 1990s, China conducted underground hydronuclear experiments—though not full-scale device tests—for France at Lop Nur.

Reed’s disclosures are based on his knowledge of and insights into the visits to China by Dan Stillman, a top US nuclear expert who went there several times in the late 1980s at Beijing invitation, in part because the Chinese wanted to both show-off and convey to the US the progress they had made in nuclear weaponisation.

China calls for balance of nuclear nonproliferation, energy use

China’s Foreign Ministry said hereon Tuesday that the country hopes the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) can resolve the relationship between nonproliferation and the peaceful use of nuclear energy in a balanced way.

“China hopes the NSG finds a way to strike a balance between nuclear nonproliferation and the peaceful use of energy,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told a routine press conference.

Jiang’s remarks came before a new round of talks in Vienna scheduled for Thursday and Friday on nuclear cooperation between India and the United States.

Jiang said China has a consistent and clear stance on the issue of India-U.S. nuclear cooperation.

China has taken an active part in the NSG discussions, Jiang said.

Opening Ceremony Beijing Olympics – Videos

Opening Ceremony Beijing Olympics – Videos

Security Threats Put China on Alert as Beijing Olympics Begin

China is on high alert as it deals with new security threats on the opening day of the Olympics.

An Air China plane that departed from Japan had to make an emergency return Friday after the airline received an e-mailed bomb threat.

Japanese authorities say the e-mail threatened to bring down the flight on the site of the Beijing Olympics. The flight was bound for the southwestern city of Chongqing when it was forced to return to Tokyo’s Narita airport.

China readies artillery to avert rain at Olympics, but some think idea’s all wet

As opening day for the 2008 Summer Olympics draws near, thousands of Chinese villagers are in training. Loading up artillery shells and readying rocket launchers, they await a call to arms.

The villagers aren’t part of some civilian security corps. They’re part of China’s weather modification program. Their mission: to shoot dust into threatening clouds in advance of the opening ceremony Friday in Beijing.

China’s official meteorologists say there’s a 50 percent chance of precipitation. The Games begin as the region’s rainy season winds down.

Olympic trials: Air, air, everywhere, and not a bit to breathe

According to the Beijing government, the amount of particulate matter in the air has failed to reach the national benchmark of 100mg a cubic metre for the past four days. [On July 28], it rose to 113, more than double the far tougher ideal standard of 50 set by the World Health Organisation.