China's sweeping nuclear power push is likely to slow after the government ordered a safety crackdown today in the aftermath of Japan's nuclear crisis.

The announcement by the State Council, or Cabinet, was the most pointed sign yet that the disaster in Japan could affect China's nuclear expansion, which is by far the world's largest.

But at least one expert said the measures are unlikely to bring the expansion to a halt.

During a State Council meeting, Premier Wen Jiabao told Chinese residents they did not need to worry about radiation drifting from Japan's Fukushima Daiichi plant.

But China's own nuclear plants will face tougher scrutiny, according to an account of the meeting on the government's website.

"We will temporarily suspend approval of nuclear power projects, including those in the preliminary stages of development," the statement said. "Any hazards must be thoroughly dealt with, and those that do not conform to safety standards must immediately cease construction."

Lin Boqiang, director of the Center for Chinese Energy Economics Research at Xiamen University, said the safety push could slow, but not stop, nuclear expansion in China, which the government is hoping will help cut dependence on coal in the next decade.

"The suspension [of new project approvals] is just a temporary one and will not influence China's long-term nuclear power construction plans," Lin said. "This is clearly the right thing to do and it is what every country will be doing to ensure that ordinary people are reassured about the safety of nuclear power plants."

China has 28 new reactors in the works -- or roughly 40 percent of the world's total under construction -- and the central government has fast-tracked approvals for the past two years (Chris Buckley, Reuters, March 16). -- AS