On April 22nd of 2009, Vice-Minister CAO Jianlin of Science and Technology met with Lois Echavarri, Director General of Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Beijing.

According to CAO, as a developing country featured by fast increasing energy demand and dominant role of coal in the energy structure, China is in urgent need of and is undergoing large-scale nuclear energy construction. China needs to strengthen international cooperation in nuclear energy and to upgrade the engineering technological level. Through signing the Charter and the Framework Agreement of the Generation IV International Forum(GIF), China has become a new GIF member. CAO introduced different roles of Chinese governmental departments in nuclear energy R&D and engineering field, for further exchange between OECD/NEA with Chinese counterparts.

Mr. Echavarri introduced the five working fields of OECD/NEA, and hoped China chooses its priority fields to cooperate with OECD/NEA. He also talked about various possible ways for China to participate in NEA in different stages.