China Aiding Pakistan's Nuclear Ambitions
Springfield police approach the scene of a shooting off Lawton Street near Wilbraham Road and Breckwood Blvd., Monday, June 4, 2012, in Springfield, Mass. Three people, including a Springfield Police officer, are reportedly dead. (AP Photo/The Republican, Mark M.Murray) / Mark M.Murray
The following was written by CBS News' Farhan Bokhari, reporting from Islamabad.
China has privately agreed to follow a "step-by-step" approach to fulfilling Pakistan's aspiration for an expanded nuclear energy program, rather than sign an ambitious civil nuclear program of the kind recently struck between the U.S. and India, senior Pakistani and Western officials said on Thursday.
Private discussions are believed to have been held on expanded nuclear cooperation between Pakistan's president Asif Ali Zardari and Chinese leaders during Zardari's four-day visit to China, which began Tuesday.
A senior Pakistani government official, familiar with discussions between Zardari and Chinese officials, claimed Thursday that China had agreed to "consider further nuclear power reactors to fulfill our needs. The relationship (on the nuclear issue) remains intact". Speaking to CBS News on condition of anonymity, the official added, "there is now a complete understanding on our future cooperation".
China has installed a 325-Megawatts nuclear power reactor at Chashma, in Pakistan's central Punjab province. Beijing is also currently working to install a second power reactor of the same capacity there. In ten years, Pakistan plans to produce up to 8,000 Megawatts of electricity using nuclear energy.
In addition to the two Chashma reactors, Pakistan has one Canadian-supplied nuclear energy reactor with a capacity of 137-Megawatts. Western diplomats say Pakistan is seeking to bridge the large gap between its installed capacity and future ambitions with Chinese help.
Western diplomats say China is interested in maintaining a stable relationship with Pakistan for a number of reasons: China sees its relationship with Pakistan as a way to counter-balance growing U.S. ties with India. In the long term, China also considers Pakistan as a conduit to expand trade with the oil rich Middle East to improve its economic and energy-related interests.
However, a second Pakistani official who spoke to CBS News on condition of anonymity said China is eager to avoid a direct confrontation with the West on its nuclear energy cooperation with Pakistan. "China is not seeking a head-on clash with anyone. It wants to broaden its relations with Pakistan but without the risk of a stiff U.S. reaction," said the official.
U.S. reluctance to offer a civil nuclear power agreement to Pakistan stems mainly from revelations in 2004 that Abdul Qadeer Khan, the founder of Pakistan's nuclear weapons program, traded nuclear secrets and technology with Iran, Libya and North Korea. Khan has remained effectively under house arrest since then.
Requests from the Western officials, notably the U.S., to interview Khan have all been denied by the Pakistani government.
Copyright 2009 CBS. All rights reserved. China has privately agreed to follow a "step-by-step" approach to fulfilling Pakistan's aspiration for an expanded nuclear energy program, rather than sign an ambitious civil nuclear program of the kind recently struck between the U.S. and India, senior Pakistani and Western officials said on Thursday.
Private discussions are believed to have been held on expanded nuclear cooperation between Pakistan's president Asif Ali Zardari and Chinese leaders during Zardari's four-day visit to China, which began Tuesday.
A senior Pakistani government official, familiar with discussions between Zardari and Chinese officials, claimed Thursday that China had agreed to "consider further nuclear power reactors to fulfill our needs. The relationship (on the nuclear issue) remains intact". Speaking to CBS News on condition of anonymity, the official added, "there is now a complete understanding on our future cooperation".
China has installed a 325-Megawatts nuclear power reactor at Chashma, in Pakistan's central Punjab province. Beijing is also currently working to install a second power reactor of the same capacity there. In ten years, Pakistan plans to produce up to 8,000 Megawatts of electricity using nuclear energy.
In addition to the two Chashma reactors, Pakistan has one Canadian-supplied nuclear energy reactor with a capacity of 137-Megawatts. Western diplomats say Pakistan is seeking to bridge the large gap between its installed capacity and future ambitions with Chinese help.
Western diplomats say China is interested in maintaining a stable relationship with Pakistan for a number of reasons: China sees its relationship with Pakistan as a way to counter-balance growing U.S. ties with India. In the long term, China also considers Pakistan as a conduit to expand trade with the oil rich Middle East to improve its economic and energy-related interests.
However, a second Pakistani official who spoke to CBS News on condition of anonymity said China is eager to avoid a direct confrontation with the West on its nuclear energy cooperation with Pakistan. "China is not seeking a head-on clash with anyone. It wants to broaden its relations with Pakistan but without the risk of a stiff U.S. reaction," said the official.
U.S. reluctance to offer a civil nuclear power agreement to Pakistan stems mainly from revelations in 2004 that Abdul Qadeer Khan, the founder of Pakistan's nuclear weapons program, traded nuclear secrets and technology with Iran, Libya and North Korea. Khan has remained effectively under house arrest since then.
Requests from the Western officials, notably the U.S., to interview Khan have all been denied by the Pakistani government.
Popular on CBSNews.com
-
One year after Afghan massacre, villagers work with U.S. troops One year after U.S. Staff Sgt. Robert Bales was accused of slaughtering 16 Afghan civilians, the villagers in the town where the atrocity took place have joined the U.S. special forces stationed there to assist in the fight against the Taliban.
- 50th Paris Air Show 19 Photos
- Widespread protests in Brazil 23 Photos
- Celebration and devotion in India 14 Photos
- One of FBI's Ten Most Wanted nabbed in Mexico
- Somali militants wage deadly attack on U.N. office
- Afghan gov't halts talks with U.S. on security pact
- Rare twin birth for gorilla in Dutch zoo Play Video
- Brazil protesters flood Sao Paulo streets for 2nd night
PAKISTAN DOES NOT NEED AMERICA HELP IN ANYTHING ANYWAY. PAKISTAN CAN WIPE OFF AMERICA IN ANY MINUTE ANY TIME IT WISHES.....
NOW THE USA MIGHT BE LOOKING DESPARATELY FOR PAKISTAN''S HELP TO HELP THEM IN THEIR FINANCIAL CRISIS.
PAKISTAN DOES NOT NEED AMERICA HELP IN ANYTHING ANYWAY. PAKISTAN CAN WIPE OFF AMERICA IN ANY MINUTE ANY TIME IT WISHES.....
....AND THAT IS THE ONLY REASON USA IS SCARED OF PAKISTAN SO BIG TIME THAT IT GIVES MONEY AND ALL KIND OF THINGS TO KEEP THEM FROM NOT ATTACKING USA.
I totally agree with you but here is another reason.
Bikini Island was destroyed by a 15 megaton blast leaving a hole in the ocean floor over 200 feet deep. Now a few years after that in the mid 1950''s not to be out done the Soviet Union let lose with a 50 megaton blast in the Artic circle. Now while many will argue over it usefullness understand this people for 52 nano seconds it realeased 2 PERCENT OF THE SUNS OUTPUT. They were going to test a 100 megaton bomb but decided against it. They claimed radition but the truth is when they saw the power of just 50 megatons (the shock wave was felt 4 times around the earth) they knew that there was no telling what the final effect would be.
Now think about this we have over 14,000 nukes so does Russia and China. Add all that up and see what a thermal nuclar war leads too.
Posted by downtooearth at 02:14 AM : Oct 17, 2008
+ report abuse
If US had played by the rules it wouldn''t have signed Nuclear deal with India, since Congress passed the law that US will not transfer nuclear technology to any country that hadn''t signed the NPT. And India is not a christian country. They are actually killing christians in india these days.
SORRY