Nuke cooperation with Pak completely 'peaceful': China

Islamabad, May 13 (ANI): China has reassured the international community that its nuclear cooperation with Pakistan is completely 'peaceful' in nature, and in accordance with the safeguards set up by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

"The cooperation is subject to safeguards and the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). It is in compliance with respective international obligations of the two countries," The Daily Times quoted Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu said while responding to a statement by US Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg.

Stressing that countries must respect their individual non-proliferation commitments, the United States had said that it was closely observing China's offer to build two nuclear power plants in Pakistan.

Speaking during a forum at the Brookings Institution, US Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg said Washington is concerned about proliferation issues and is studying China's offer to assist Pakistan with nuclear reactors, adding that Washington has not taken any final decision in this regard.

Steinberg had said that the United States is keeping a close watch on Beijing's offer to build two new nuclear power plants in Pakistan.

"The United States has not reached a final conclusion. But it's something we're obviously looking at very carefully," Steinberg had said.

"I think it's important to scrupulously honour these non-proliferation commitments. We''ll want to continue to engage on the question, about whether this is permitted under the understandings of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)," he added.

China had earlier built two reactors for Pakistan. But in 2004 Beijing entered the Nuclear Suppliers Group, an association of nuclear energy states that forbids exports to nations lacking strict safeguards set up by the IAEA.

China began building a nuclear reactor in Chashma in Pakistan's Punjab province in 1991 and work on a second reactor began in 2005, which is expected to be completed next year. Under the new agreement, Chinese companies will build at least two new 650-MW reactors at Chashma, a media report had said last month. (ANI)