China’s Nuke Sales a Go -- China moves ahead with reactor sales to Pakistan in violation of global nuclear control regime -- By Bill Gertz, The Washington Free Beacon

China is moving ahead with plans to sell two nuclear reactors to Pakistan in a deal U.S. officials say will violate Beijing’s promises under an international nuclear control group.

The deal is raising new concerns in both the United States and India over continuing support from China to Pakistan’s nuclear weapons program, which benefits from the civilian reactor programs.

“China’s expanding civil nuclear cooperation with Pakistan raises serious concerns and we urge China to be more transparent regarding this cooperation,” a State Department official said.

“We believe that the announced agreement for Chinese provision of new nuclear reactors to Pakistan extends beyond cooperation that was ‘grandfathered’ when China was approved for Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) membership in 2004,” the official said.

The illicit reactor sale was discussed during recent meetings of the NSG and the United States will continue to do so in future session, the official said.

China on Wednesday made its first public comments on the Pakistani nuclear cooperation, telling reporters in Beijing that the civilian reactors will be built strictly according to international norms.

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