Pak's nuke technology, a Chinese contribution?

Washington, Jan 4: Did People's Republic of China help Pakistan to achieve nuclear facility? Did China play any role to spoil the peaceful relation between India and Pakistan? 'Yes' says US Air Force Secretary Thomas Reed.

Reed claimed that China had tested for Pakistan its first nuclear bomb in 1990s. In an interview to 'US News and World Report' new magazine Reed said, "The Chinese did a massive training of Pakistani scientists, brought them to China for lectures, even gave them the design of the CHIC-4 device, which was a weapon that was easy to build a model for export."

A weapons designer at Livermore National Laboratory, Reed had co-authored a new book, 'The Nuclear Express: A Political History of the Bomb and Its Proliferation' with Danny Stillman (the former director of Technical Intelligence Division, LosAlamos National Laboratory).

The book accuses China of internationally proliferating nuclear technology and said that the nation has helped 'risky regimes' like Pakistan to achieve this. Reed told to the magazine that China gave nuclear technology to Pakistan as 'India was China's enemy and Pakistan was India's enemy.

He said, "Under the then Pakistan President Benazir Bhutto, the country built its first functioning nuclear weapon. We believe that during Benazir's term in office, the Peoples
Republic of China tested Pakistan's first bomb for her in 1990." He also pointed out various reasons to believe this including the design of the weapon and information gathered
from discussions with Chinese nuclear experts.

"That's why the Pakistanis were so quick to respond to the Indian nuclear tests in 1998. It only took them two weeks and three days," Reed added. It is up to the rulers and people of both the democratic nations to decide whether India and Pakistan should still continue to fall prey for vested interests or should work for their own development. Nuclear technology whether possessed by developing or developed nation, both ways is harmful. Did China play any role in adding fuel to fury is yet to be known. But a joint efforts from both India and Pakistan and also cooperation from International community is a must to eradicate the menace of terrorism and militancy.

OneIndia News (With inputs from Agencies)