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Pak to get Chinese Nuke Plants

 

A report published in Pakistan paper The Dawn said that Pakistan will seek 4 more nuclear plants at a cost of USD 6.5 billion in addition to the 2 on order for USD 1.2 billon claiming that these plants will allow it to generate 8,800 megawatts of power by 2030.

China has supposedly promised Pakistan that will help it meet its energy demands to a reasonable point. Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf will try concluding the deal during his trip there in June and will also brief the Chinese on the lop-sided treatment his country has got from the US. Pakistan has been demanding for at-par treatment with India from the US.

However, even the most Pakistan-friendly politician in the US cannot bring himself or herself to propose such a deal. Therefore, Musharraf’s strategy is to work the Chinese “evergreen” relationship to wrangle itself the same technology. Beijing has also been raising “concerns” about the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal but not objecting to it because it knows that this may give it negotiating space with the US and the West to sell nuclear technology to inconvenient regimes such as Pakistan.
 

Apparently, the US is leaning on China not to sell more than 2 nuclear plants to Pakistan citing its proliferation record, the role of senior nuclear scientists including A.Q. Khan, the military’s active support, and the Government’s acknowledge acquiescence to the proliferation.

In addition to the nuclear plants, China has also agreed to sell Pakistan latest military hardware and technology and a series of exchanges have been planned between the two nations to facilitate this transfer of knowledge and equipment.