China violated NPT consensus by supplying reactors to Pakistan: Report

Lahore: While China continues to hail the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT) as the cornerstone of the global non-proliferation regime, Beijing itself has violated the consensus arrived at the 2010 NPT review conference on supply of nuclear technology by transferring nuclear reactors to Pakistan.

Arms Control Association, one of leading authorities on nuclear weapons and disarmament, in its latest report assessing progress on NPT made this observation on China`s supply of nuclear reactors to Pakistan, a country which is not under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards, reports Pakistan Today.

The report says that the Beijing`s 2013 deal for Pakistan`s Chasma-3 reactor contradicts the consensus document of the 2010 NPT Review Conference, which "reaffirms that new supply arrangements" for the transfer of nuclear materials and technology should require that the recipient accept "IAEA full-scope safeguards and international legally-binding commitments not to acquire nuclear weapons".

Islamabad has accepted neither. On the other hand, China has blocked India`s membership of Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) saying that participation of a non-NPT signatory in the group will weaken the international non-proliferation regime.

China`s NSG membership since 2004 has not come in the way of its stated supply of as many as 6 reactors to Pakistan`s Chasma nuclear power complex as the agreement was reached in 2003 - before it became a member of NSG.

But report says, even though that exception should have been applicable only to the first two Chasma reactors whose sale was completed before China joined NSG.

It is widely held that in helping Pakistan with its nuclear energy programme, China has chosen to override NSG guidelines and shown no regard for the reservations expressed by its members who control international nuclear commerce.