Beijing asked not to build more reactors

Washington: The US has asked China not to go ahead with plans to construct two more nuclear reactors in Pakistan without a "consensus" approval from the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), a "difficult" task to achieve in view of Islamabad's proliferation record.

"Although Pakistan's energy needs are real and increasing, we believe Pakistan's proliferation record would make NSG consensus difficult were China to request an exception," a senior State Department official said in a letter to Democrat Congressman Edward J. Markey.

In the letter released by Markey, Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs Matthew Reynolds said Washington has already outlined its "position clearly" to Islamabad and Beijing that the proposed construction of two more nuclear reactors in Pakistan should not continue.

Position

"We have communicated our position clearly to our Chinese and Pakistani interlocutors at multiple levels in Washington, Beijing, and Islamabad, and have made plain our view that proposed cooperation on Chasma III and IV should not move forward," Reynolds wrote.

The US position is that cooperation on the construction of two new reactors, Chasma III and IV, would be inconsistent with the commitments China made to NSG while joining it in 2004.

"We also have been in contact with other NSG members, a number of whom have expressed similar concern at the recent reports," Reynolds said. "The US has sought and continues to seek clarification from Islamabad and Beijing on this matter."

In a statement, Markey said the State Department letter "unambiguously confirmed that providing any new nuclear reactors by China to Pakistan is not allowed by the rules of the Nuclear Suppliers' Group, which governs international nuclear trade."