Limited transparency of Chinese government in various social contexts may affect the level of perceived nuclear risk

Still, the study conducted in 2014 (see source document for full reference) showed relatively high acceptance of nuclear power within Chinese citizens and high level of trust in government, which is opposed to the implications of a study conducted in 2013. The contradictory findings might be the consequence of the limited transparency of Chinese government regarding nuclear power and corresponding risks. Namely, it might be possible that in such social context the trust in government can be easily restored after the nuclear accident, which in turn lowers the level of perceived nuclear risk. Also, from the presented findings, it could be hypothesized that pronuclear media coverage in the years after the Fukushima accident also contributed to the higher level of nuclear acceptance recorded in 2014 (He et al., 2014) compared to the level observed in 2011 (Huang et al., 2013).

Note: See source document for full reference.

Cultural Factors: Attitudes toward authorities, Attitudes toward the media, Communication

Hazards: Man-made non-intentional hazards or emergency situations, Man-made intentional hazards

Disaster Phases: Prevention, Preparedness, Response, Recovery, All disaster phases

Types of Actors Concerned: Non-active citizens, Government, Media

Recommendations:

• Develop guidelines for disaster practitioners that take into consideration the different needs of and approaches to different ethnical groups
• Develop risk assessments methodologies, which consider cultural factors, the manner in which people cognitively process information and which employ a gender perspective