China-Pak N-deal may not get NSG nod: US

With China pressing ahead on its controversial decision to supply two additional nuclear reactors to Pakistan, the US on Friday indicated that the deal may not get the approval of the 46-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) given Islamabad's track record.

Asked if the US was concerned over China's plans to supply additional reactors to Pakistan, US Ambassador to India Timothy J Roemer said, "I am not sure it will happen in Pakistan, given their track record. This is very important issue in respect to China."

He also contrasted Pakistan's track record with India and said the Indo-US civil nuclear partnership "says loudly to the world community (that) we trust India given its track record on the proliferation issues.

"One of the fundamental important issues for the US is not only India's flawless track record and high-trust but also the US efforts to try as Prime Minister Singh has said to provide more inclusive growth to Indians..."

Significantly, US National Nuclear Security Administration chief Thomas D'Agostino, while attending the International Atomic Energy Agency General Conference in Vienna, Austria earlier this week, said, "We look to engage with China on these particular issues...my focus is to use the framework of the mechanisms that we have in the NSG."

"We are going to use the NSG to the best of our abilities and use all of the tools that we have in that forum to address specific nuclear arrangements that are made, whether it is with China, Pakistan or a variety of other countries," D'Agostino said.

The US has argued the Pakistan-China deal would require a waiver from the 46-member group, which seeks to restrict atomic exports to countries that have signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. Islamabad has not signed the pact.

The US sought and won a special exemption from NSG while negotiating a landmark atomic trade deal with India, another nuclear-armed nation that has not joined the treaty. But it happened due to flawless track record of India in the non-proliferation field.

However, during the negotiations, China was among a group of nations to criticize the Indo-US deal before ultimately granting the waiver.

The China-Pak nuclear deal has been a cause of concern for many because of Pakistan's history as a nuclear proliferator, mounting instability within that country and worries the agreement would undermine the nonproliferation regime.