Just two days after the tragic earthquake that shook Japan, China’s national energy chief was busy stumping for an unlikely cause: the benefits of nuclear power.

Liu Tienan, head of the National Energy Administration, toured the China Institute of Atomic Energy and signaled his approval of the work being done there. China is not a democracy, but it remains important to rally public opinion on controversial or potentially-controversial issues.

“Developing nuclear energy safely and efficiently is an important means to realize our goals for future clean energy,” he said, according to a press release published Monday, after his visit on Sunday. “The relevant parties must diligently analyze the lessons from Japan’s nuclear events, and . . . guarantee the safe development of our nuclear industry,” he added.