It will also carry out checks at existing reactors and those under construction.

China is currently building 27 new reactors - about 40 percent of the total number being built around the world.

The news comes as China grows increasingly worried about the nuclear accident in Japan.

The decision to temporarily halt approval for nuclear plants came at a meeting of China's State Council, or Cabinet, chaired by Premier Wen Jiabao.

"We will temporarily suspend approval for nuclear power projects, including those that have already begun preliminary work, before nuclear safety regulations are approved," read a statement from the State Council. "Safety is our top priority in developing nuclear power plants."

It went on to say that China's medium and long-term nuclear plans would be "adjusted and improved".

China currently gets only about 2 percent of its electricity from nuclear power from 13 reactors, but it has launched an ambitious project to drastically increase those figures. It is currently building more reactors that any other country in the world.