Pakistan

China plans fifth nuclear reactor for Pakistan: report

Beijing aims to become a significant player in the nuclear industry.

November 09, 2010

LONDON: China plans to supply Pakistan with a fifth nuclear energy reactor, The Financial Times reported on Monday. The supply of a fifth nuclear reactor to Pakistan comes after Beijing’s confirmation this year to build two 650MW nuclear energy reactors at Chashma, Punjab.

China has already built one nuclear energy reactor at Chashma and is expected to complete a second at the same site next year. “We have an ongoing programme of co-operation for the peaceful use of nuclear energy with China,” said Defence Minister Ahmed Mukhtar. The new deals also reflect Chinese commercial ambitions to become a significant player in the nuclear industry.

A Chinese official said in September that there have been discussions between the two countries about building a 1-gigawatt (GW) plant in Pakistan, in addition to the two 300-megawatt (MW) plants that Chinese companies are expected to build at Chashma. Mark Hibbs, an expert on the nuclear industry at the Carnegie Endowment think-tank in Washington, said China could export smaller 300W reactors using technology that it controls. However, if it wanted to sell to Pakistan it would need the consent of western companies that have licensed Beijing to use key technologies, giving those companies leverage, he said.

Although China has been talking publicly for the past two months about its intention to build at least two more reactors in Pakistan, Chinese officials have not yet specified how they intend to get around the rules that bar the sale of nuclear technology to countries such as Pakistan that have not signed the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. One option would be to argue that the initial agreement with Pakistan was signed in 2003, before China joined the body that regulates nuclear commerce, he added.

Washington’s relationship with New Delhi was cemented with an agreement in 2008 to supply civil nuclear reactors, even though India has yet to ratify some of the international safeguards to prevent proliferation. However, US refused a similar civil nuclear agreement with Pakistan, citing concern over Islamabad’s past links to sharing nuclear expertise and technology with Iran, Libya and, possibly, North Korea.

Analysts said Obama is unlikely to criticise China’s supply of nuclear reactors to Pakistan publicly because Washington is probably sensitive to Islamabad’s desire for civil nuclear co-operation after the US-India civil nuclear deal.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 9^th, 2010.

COMMENTS (6)

Zain | 13 years ago | Reply Why can't there be peace between India and Pakistan? Why is there so much hate on both sides? If in the unlikely situation we fail and the taliban get control somehow, India has the most to lose. You won't be able to rule them with fear and going in a war against a person willing to die is fruitless. Establishing good ties, economic agreements and healthy relations is beneficial to both. Granted we split up in 1947 but, India has to understand the situation that happened and the way muslims were being treated. Not to say indians weren't treated any better the Jalianwala bagh massacre. We as nations have been through so much together, isn't it time our agencies and our politicians stop playing the blame game and actually do something progressive. In university I had an indian friend, actually had many indian friends, but this friend said one statement to me, while in Global Economics class we were doing a lecture on the subcontinent only. He said, if India and Pakistan forget all their differences and unite they could be the next Eurozone. I truly believe that, India can help us in sectors like education and industry development and Pakistan can help them with things like raw material procurement with our coal, gas, copper, gold and sulphur deposits as well as agricultural products. This could lead to alot of peace between china, india and pakistan. Rather than us feeding the beast that is the politicians agenda.

Amer | 13 years ago | Reply @Rosh: You are nothing but a bitter Indian with an Axe to grind. Nothing constructive comes out of the mouths of people like you. Go on hate as much as you like!