Sino-Pak N-cooperation will be under intl norms:China to India

K J M Varma
Beijing, Jul 6 (PTI) China has made it clear to India
that its civil nuclear cooperation with Pakistan will be in
accordance with international obligations.
New Delhi will "wait and see" how Beijing presses ahead
with its plans to build two nuclear reactors in Pakistan's
Chashma II plant, visiting National Security Adviser
Shivshankar Menon told the Indian media here, wrapping up his
four-day China visit.
"We discussed the issue (of nuclear reactors to Pakistan)
with them (Chinese leaders) on two or three occasions. They
told us that what they are doing will be in accordance with
their international obligations. We will wait and see where
this is going," he said after meetings with the Chinese
leadership.
Asked how international obligations can be enforced,
Menon, who was here as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Special
Envoy, said "we do not enforce international obligations.
"We will wait and see how it develops. It is not for us
to enforce. The Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) has its own
guidelines. They told us what they are doing. It is still an
evolving situation."
China formally informed NSG recently about its plans to
build the nuclear reactors for Pakistan.
Menon's remarks coincided with the arrival of Pakistan
President Asif Ali Zardari here on a six-day visit with
Pakistani diplomats asserting that issues relating to the
nuclear power plants were very much on his agenda.
The National Security Adviser, who held talks with
Premier Wen Jiabao, Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and State
Councillor Dai Bingguo, however, refuted the perception that
his visit here ahead of Zardari's China tour was aimed at
discussing issues relating to the Sino-Pak nuclear deal.
"We will engage with China. We do not time visits
depending on who is coming and going. In today's world every
power engages with every one else. This is normal," he said.
"It (the Sino-Pak nuclear deal) took less than two and a
half sentences in the whole visit. This is not the whole point
of the visit, even though some stories tried to make it. We
have a relationship which is not externally driven," Menon
said. (More) PTI