Media advisory
November 4, 1996

Document critical of imminent CANDU export deal to China

Ottawa ~ The Campaign for Nuclear Phaseout (CNP) will release a new study entitled “Exporting Disaster: The Cost of Selling CANDU Reactors” at a news conference on November 6, 1996. The news conference will be held at 10:00 AM in the Charles Lynch Press Conference Room (130S Centre Block, House of Commons, Ottawa).

The release of “Exporting Disaster” anticipates the conclusion in November of a deal to sell two CANDU reactors to China. AECL (Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd., a federal crown corporation) has been negotiating with the Peoples Republic of China for two years.

“Exporting Disaster” argues that the sale of reactors to China cannot be justified on financial or ethical grounds, and looks at AECL’s CANDU marketing campaigns around the world. The study examines Canadian financing and subsidies of reactor exports, as well as questions of human rights, corruption and nuclear weapons proliferation.

“Exporting Disaster” addresses a number of important questions, including:

– Is Canadian financing of the reactor sale to China a straight “commercial” deal, as claimed by Natural Resources Minister Anne McLellan?

– Why doesn’t the United States allow its nuclear companies to sell reactors to China?

– How many millions of dollars has AECL paid in bribes to secure past CANDU sales?

– How many CANDU customers have initiated nuclear weapons programs in addition to their “peaceful” nuclear power programs?