Abstract
China is leading the recent revival of nuclear energy programs; it is building not one but four nuclear power plants at a time. The government is determined to expand nuclear energy programs and the general public supports the efforts. China also has the financial and human resources to achieve the desired objective—building 40 GW generation capacity by 2020. The politics surrounding nuclear energy expansion, however, is fluid and competition for influence is vibrant. Nuclear energy issues have become openly contested between general economic and specific industry interests and between international and domestic perspectives and designs. This article examines the political dynamics in China to show how the rival players and their competing interests shape the strategy of nuclear energy development.