China to build nuclear plant in Pakistan

Tue Nov 9, 2010

China has reportedly agreed to build another nuclear reactor for energy-starved Pakistan, amid calls on the South Asian country to pen the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

This will be the fifth Chinese-built atomic reactor in the country, boosting Beijing's growing support for Islamabad. The Pakistani government has declined to comment further on the plans for the fifth reactor.

The supply of a fifth nuclear reactor to Pakistan comes after Beijing confirmed earlier this year that it had agreed to build two 650MW nuclear energy reactors at Chashma, in the central part of Pakistan's Punjab province, The Financial Times reported on Monday.

China has already built one nuclear energy reactor at Chashma and is expected to complete a second at the same site next year.

“We have an ongoing program of cooperation for the peaceful use of nuclear energy with China," Pakistan's Defense Minister Ahmed Mukhtar was quoted as saying.

Washington opposes the plans because nuclear-armed Islamabad refuses to join the NPT.

A Chinese official said in September there had been discussions between the two countries about building a 600MW or 1GW plant in Pakistan, in addition to another two 300MW plants that Chinese companies are expected to build at Chashma.

Not only is China keen on boosting ties with Pakistan, but the new deals also reflect Chinese commercial ambitions to become a significant player in the nuclear industry.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://presstv.ir/detail/150207.html.