US blacklists Romania’s Chinese partner for nuclear plant expansion

China General Nuclear Power (CGN), the Chinese state-owned giant with whom Romania has been negotiating the project for the development of the 3rd and 4th reactors at Cernavoda nuclear plant, has been placed by the US authorities on a "black list" of companies that are considered to act "against the national security and foreign policy interests" of the US, Profit.ro reported.

This happened about a week before the White House meeting between US president Donald Trump and Romanian president Klaus Iohannis.

Notably, the joint press release signed by the two presidents includes a point about cooperation in the area of civil nuclear power, a statement that stirred controversy. While some assumed it refers to the possible implementation by Romania of the small nuclear reactors technology developed in the US, others questioned the future of Romania’s cooperation with CGN.

The reason put forward by the US for blacklisting CGN was that the Chinese group and its subsidiaries "would undertake or encourage efforts to obtain advanced US nuclear technologies and materials to be diverted for military purposes in China."

In response, the Chinese Government argued that the move was, in fact, part of the US-China trade war, while also accusing Americans of undermining Beijing's "Made in China 2025" strategic economic plan, aimed at transforming China into a global technological superpower, including by expanding its nuclear power companies in emerging states such as Romania.

(Photo: nuclearelectrica.ro)