China signs nuclear deal with Russia

China and Russia have signed a contract to build a three-and-a-half-billion dollar nuclear power plant north of Shanghai.

Russia will design and supply the two one-thousand megawatt reactors, while China will build the installation.

The BBC Chinese affairs analyst says the deal highlights the importance China attaches to Russia as a supplier of sensitive high technology.

A number of Western manufacturers, including the United States, are eager to exploit what's expected to be China's growing reliance on nuclear power.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service