BERLIN(Xinhua) -- Germany would suspend the plan of extending the lifespan of its 17 nuclear power plants for three months, Chancellor Angela Merkel announced Monday, amid fears of meltdowns at several nuclear plants in quake-hit Japan.

Merkel told a press conference that her government will run security tests on the country's nuclear power stations during the three-month moratorium. Further decisions on the future of its nuclear plants would depend on the results of an inquiry into reactor safety.
Merkel said an independent commission would be established for the inquiry, adding that “there are no taboos” on the inspection and “everything will be put under review.”
“If a highly developed country like Japan, with high safety standards and norms, cannot prevent such consequences for nuclear power after an earthquake and a tsunami, then this has consequences for the whole world.”
“This changes the situation, including in Germany. We have a new situation, and this situation must be thoroughly analyzed,” she said.