In an opinion piece in The Washington Times, AAM Senior Analyst Kerri Toloczko talks China, safety, and components for nuclear power plants.  Going beyond lead paint-ridden toys and toxic drywall, the importation of nuclear parts from Chinese manufacturers could pose a threat of great magnitude to the United States. As China gears up its quest for renewable resources, especially nuclear, there is a good chance that their historical failure to comply with industrial safety standards will repeat itself. Toloczko says:

"As failures in nuclear power generation could be catastrophic, China should follow strict guidelines in producing nuclear components, including any made for export. "However, China has made an art form of creating a product-specific industry aimed at export and then becoming its global master. Will nuclear components be any different? "

Toloczko also adds that in order to fund their own nuclear program--a proposed 24 new reactors added in the next decade-- China will attempt to sell nuclear components overseas.  She warns, however, that:

"Any agreements between American companies and China that would import Chinese products for America's new nuclear plants could be unwelcome news."

Unwelcome for two reasons: First, importing nuclear components from China would rob Americans of solid, sustainable jobs that would help to revive the desolate economy.  Second, despite the fact that "In industry, safety is never a 100 percent guarantee," American workers are well-trained and competent and companies in the United States "overwhelmingly adhere to strict safety standards" whereas China is notorious for breaking the rules. In February, The Huffington Post ran this piece by AAM Executive Director Scott Paul, who posed the question, "Our Nuclear Renaissance: Made in Asia?"  When it comes to nuclear energy and the future of manufacturing, America just cannot afford to take a backseat to China. Read more here.