Public awareness on nuclear energy development in China: Evidence from online discussions on Zhihu

Abstract

The Chinese government has expanded nuclear energy development in recent years. This paper explores how Chinese awareness of nuclear power developments has changed during 2011-2018, using data from Zhihu- the largest online discussion board in China. It also examines how the nuclear-related events coincide with public awareness, and how the awareness is impacted by user demographics. The results indicate that people are aware of various aspects of nuclear power development. The nuclear plant accidents, government’s policies and plans, and the public protests all contribute to the increased public awareness of nuclear energy. Positive nuclear-related events correlate with increased discussion on nuclear policies/plans and career chances in the nuclear industry while negative events are closely associated with increased awareness of radiation, risk and security, and government/corporate responsibility. The increase in public discussion seems to respond more to negative events than positive ones. The investigation of the implicit attitudes suggests that the overall Chinese do not become more positive during these years.