China's first offshore nuclear reactor is set to be completed soon, engineers involved in the project said, bolstering Beijing's maritime ambitions and stoking concerns about the potential use of atomic power in disputed island territories.
Beijing hopes offshore reactors will not only help win new markets, but also support state ambitions to become a "strong maritime power" by providing reliable electricity to oil and gas rigs as well as remote South China Sea islands.
Zhang Nailiang, engineer with the China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC), said the technology was "mature" and the first demonstration project would be deployed soon at drilling platforms in northern China's Bohai Sea.