The Ministry of Health has ordered local governments to step up preparations for a nuclear emergency because of the rising number of nuclear facilities in neighboring countries and the threat of global terrorism, the South China Morning Post reported. The order pointed to the fact that many of China’s nuclear facilities are new and, while the notice did not directly state which facilities could be the target of an attack, it did say that "the threat of global terrorism is a reality." The report also mentioned that a nuclear incident on a country bordering China could compromise Chinese citizens’ health. Bordering neighbors with nuclear weapon programs include North Korea, India and Pakistan. Earlier this year, the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Center under the Ministry of Environmental Protection released a paper saying that the government lacked money, equipment and technology to effectively maintain nuclear safety across the country.
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