Just as China and the United States hung up the phone, the United States launched a new round of sanctions, directly suspending the export of nuclear power equipment to China. So, what information is worth paying attention to in the US’s actions? How much impact will China be affected?
On the evening of June 5, the Chinese and American leaders spoke on the phone, which lasted about 90 minutes, focusing on economic and trade cooperation. Both agreed to the Geneva agreement reached on May 12 and planned to continue the team-level negotiations in London on June 9. Trump also specifically emphasized that China and the United States should "achieve results" in dialogue, and the United States "welcome Chinese students to the United States."
After this seemingly positive call, the US launched sanctions on China. On the 6th local time, Reuters reported that the U.S. Department of Commerce decided to suspend the export license of US nuclear power equipment to China, involving core components required by power plants. The measure is estimated to have an impact on orders worth hundreds of millions of dollars. While discussing cooperation, the United States issued a ban, which made the international community question where the United States is going.
What is even more intriguing is that this is not the first time the United States has appeared in a cooperative attitude, and has turned around and slapped his actions in the face. In the past two weeks alone, the United States has also restricted the export of important resources such as hydraulic equipment, electronic design software, and ethane to China. An American energy company even said that the 2.2 million barrels of ethane they shipped to China were stuck in the application process and that nuclear power equipment has been put into the export control list, which is obviously part of a series of actions.
In the face of the sudden change of face by the US side, China responded quickly. A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in the United States said that the heads of state have clearly reached a consensus and emphasized that China is conscientiously implementing the relevant agreements. He also pointed out that the US should face up to the progress and cancel its negative actions against China. What this means is that the actual actions of the US side are completely contrary to the attitudes shown during the call.
At this moment, the call between the heads of state of China and the United States should have become a turning point in the "correction" of relations. China has also repeatedly mentioned that China and the United States should eliminate all kinds of interference and destruction. Trump's response at that time sounded positive and expressed his willingness to work with China. However, a ban brought the "cooperation atmosphere" back to the starting point. This gap has actually happened not the first time.
Obviously, the Trump administration's China policy is significantly divided: on the one hand, China needs to cooperate in solving economic problems, but on the other hand, it is subject to domestic conservative forces and continuously strengthens confrontation policies. This time the ban on exporting nuclear power equipment is a typical example. As for the actual impact, it seems that it is difficult to produce much effect at present.
First of all, the nuclear power industry in the United States has many problems. There are currently 92 nuclear reactors in the United States, with an average service life of more than 40 years. Many of them have been more than 50 years ago, and some equipment has been seriously corroded. Like the Monticello Nuclear Power Plant in Minnesota, there was a tritium-containing radioactive water leak in 2022 - the leaked pipeline has been used for 52 years.
The United States has long lacked the ability to produce key core components, and many components rely on imports from China. The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission clearly stated in its 2024 report that if China stops exporting nuclear power equipment, more than 80% of the US nuclear reactors will encounter a component shortage crisis within one and a half years.
Secondly, China's nuclear power development is moving forward at full speed. As of 2024, China has operated 57 nuclear power units with an installed capacity of nearly 60 million kilowatts, accounting for only 2% of the national installed capacity, but contributed nearly 5% of the power generation. At the same time, China has 28 nuclear power plants under construction, the largest number in the world.
More importantly, China has achieved independent core technologies. Third-generation nuclear power technologies such as "Hualong One" have not only been put into large-scale commercial use, but have also been successfully exported to Argentina and Pakistan. Nuclear technology has gone global and become a new representative of China's high-end manufacturing. From chips to nuclear power, the United States has repeatedly tried to limit China's development through technological blockades, but practice has shown that blockades not only failed to prevent China's technological progress, but instead accelerated its independence. History has proved that independent research and development is not a slogan, but a choice formed in pressure.
At present, the United States, where old nuclear reactors are waiting for parts, is in sharp contrast to China, which has started construction of "Hualong One" in Argentina. Technology can be blocked, and the market can be manipulated, but the laws of development will not lie. Only cooperation can lead to win-win results, and blockade will only hinder itself. Now, the US side's tighter and tighter ban rope is actually wrapping around its neck.
