Beijing - The quick expansion of China's nuclear energy production is far outpacing the regulation of its nuclear reactors, the country's top nuclear watchdog warned.

Li Ganjie, director of the National Nuclear Safety Administration, also said in unusually strong terms that China has insufficient capacity to handle nuclear waste.

In a report presented to an international nuclear energy conference in Beijing, Li said the storage of past nuclear waste was "not entirely under control," the Communist Party newspaper Renmin Ribao reported Tuesday.

Nuclear safeguards in China are weak and insufficient to keep up with the country's need to develop nuclear energy and technology, he added.

There is a dearth of personnel, technical equipment, financing and investment, he said in criticism that stood in firm contrast to plans for an expansion of nuclear power in China that was unveiled during the three-day conference, which began Monday.

The meeting, organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency, brought together more than 300 representatives, including energy ministers, from 65 countries.

It is examining the development of nuclear energy, which has gained in popularity as concerns have grown about climate change, fluctuating oil prices and growing energy demand. (dpa)