China keeps mum on US comments on Pak nuclear reactors

China Thursday kept mum on reported comments by a US official that Beijing should get a waiver from the Nuclear Suppliers Group before going ahead with its commitment to build two new nuclear reactors for Pakistan.

Beijing: China Thursday kept mum on reported
comments by a US official that Beijing should get a waiver
from the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) before going ahead with
its commitment to build two new nuclear reactors for Pakistan.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu
declined to comment when asked about the reported comments by
US Assistant Secretary for South Asia Robert Blake that China
should get the waiver from NSG before going ahead with the
project.

She merely said she has already commented on China`s
plans to build two new reactors.

Blake, who early this week held preparatory talks with
his Chinese counterparts ahead of the China-US strategic
dialogue to be held on May 23, said Washington was aware of
the reports about Chinese plans.

He reportedly said the US stand in this regard is that
China has to obtain NSG waiver before going ahead with the
project.

China has apparently not informed the NSG about its
commitment to build two more reactors to Pakistan, which
observers here say is an important requirement.

nuclear cooperation respected the international obligations
and under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
regulations.

China`s commitment to build the two nuclear power
plants was announced by China National Nuclear Corporation,
(CNNC) which posted a brief statement on its website recently
stating it had reached the agreement with Pakistan "with the
aim of developing an overseas nuclear power electricity
market".

China has already built two reactors with capacity
about 350 mw at Chasma in Pakistan`s Punjab province earlier.

Under the new agreement, Chinese companies will build
at least two new reactors with 650 mw each at Chashma.

PTI

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