| Date: |
18-12-2015 |
| Subject: |
India red flags fresh nuclear reactors in Pakistan with China's help |
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NEW DELHI: India has red flagged fresh nuclear reactors that are being set up in Pakistan with Chinese assistance and asserted that it is taking adequate steps to safeguard any challenge to the country's security due to these developments.
China is supplying Islamabad with two more nuclear power reactors, Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh said on Wednesday in Lok Sabha in reply to a question on Chinese made nuclear reactors in Pakistan and its impact on Indian security.
"Government of India is aware of the agreement to supply two additional nuclear power reactors, Chashma-3 and Chashma-4, by China to Pakistan," Singh stated in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.
"These reactors are under construction, in addition to Chashma-1 and 2, which are already in operation," he explained.
The minister said India was also aware of reports of an agreement for supply of additional reactors of Chinese origin to be built in Chashma, Karachi, and a third site in Pakistan.
"The government remains committed to taking all necessary steps to safeguard India's national security interests," he said.
Earlier this year a Chinese official publicly confirmed that Beijing is involved in at least six nuclear power projects in Pakistan and is likely to export more to the country.
In a press conference in Beijing earlier this year, Wang Xiaotao, vice-minister of the National Development and Reform Commission, said China "has assisted in building six nuclear reactors in Pakistan with a total installed capacity of 3.4 million kilowatts".
Wang, who was unveiling plans for new guidelines for Chinese exports in the nuclear sector, also said that Beijing was keen to provide further exports to countries, which would presumably include Pakistan given previous reports and trends.
The Sino-Pakistan nuclear link is no secret.
Revelations about the growing Sino-Pakistan nuclear partnership comes amid continuing concerns in some quarters that ongoing cooperation is happening without the sanction of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) which helps supervise the export of global civilian nuclear technology. China is a member of the NSG and existing regulations prohibit members from exporting such technology to nations such as Pakistan which does not have full-fledged safeguard mechanism.
China had said that it already agreed to construct the first two reactors for Pakistan -- the Chashma-1 and Chashma 2 -- at the time it joined the Nuclear Suppliers Group in 2004. But in 2010, the China National Nuclear Cooperation announced it would export technology for two new reactors, Chashma-3 and Chashma-4, because it said that these projects were already grandfathered in under previous agreements.
In November 2013, there was an announcement that China would help build two reactors in Karachi. Pakistani officials say this is part of broader plans to produce around 8,800 megawatts of electricity from nuclear power by 2030.
Source : economictimes.indiatimes.com
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