China will promote nuclear power on a larger scale at home and abroad as it steps up the upgrading of manufacturing and seeks more global deals, Premier Li Keqiang said on June 15.

Li backed the Hualong One Reactor, a domestically developed third-generation reactor design, saying it is the latest on his list for businesses to go global.

The Premier also said that it is time for Chinese equipment makers to explore overseas markets, and that demonstrations of this equipment are needed to boost such exports.

While China’s high-speed railways are gaining a global reputation, Chinese nuclear power technology and its facilities should also have a rightful place abroad, he said.

He made the comments during a visit to China Nuclear Power Engineering Co Ltd in Beijing.

“Safety is a must and should be ensured throughout the whole process, from design to operation. I hope you can adapt the highest standards, offer the best quality with the most competitive prices,” he said.

Premier Li Keqiang visits China Nuclear Power Engineering Company in Beijing, June 15, 2015.

Xing Ji, the Hualong One chief designer, showed the premier a simulation to demonstrate that the Hualong One reactors are strong enough to withstand an aircraft crash.

During a simulated emergency, the alternative feed-water system responded within five seconds to support the main system.

In April, for the first time in four years, China approved the construction of two nuclear reactors using third-generation technology in Fujian province.

Overseas, the country has invested in Britain’s Hinkley Point C, the first nuclear power project in the country for two decades, and plans more involvement in the British nuclear sector.

Last year, China National Nuclear Corp signed a $2 billion deal with Argentina to build a reactor. China has also completed two nuclear reactors in Pakistan, and four more are being built.

Premier Li Keqiang visits China Nuclear Power Engineering Company in Beijing, June 15, 2015.

China National Nuclear Power Co, a unit of one of the country’s three largest State-owned nuclear operators, last week raised about 13.2 billion yuan ($2.15 billion) in its initial public offering.

Most of this will fund the building and operation of coastal nuclear plants.

Upgrading nuclear power technology forms part of China’s ambitious plan to improve its manufacturing power in the next 10 years.

This calls for greener, more intelligent manufacturing, with the emphasis on quality and adapting well to the trend of being increasingly integrated with the Internet.

“The advancement of Chinese manufacturing requires not only the improvement of consumer goods, but also the upgrading of large equipment with high technology,” Li said.

He also visited the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology on June 15.

Premier Li Keqiang visits China Nuclear Power Engineering Company in Beijing, June 15, 2015.

Premier Li Keqiang presides over a discussion at the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology in Beijing, June 15, 2015.

Premier Li Keqiang visits the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology in Beijing, June 15, 2015.