US's double standards exposed
C K Arora in Washington
The Clinton administration's double standards on India vis-a-vis Pakistan came to the fore again.
To lift the ban on the sale of nuclear equipment to China, Washington wants Beijing to halt its co-operation with Iran in missile and nuclear fields. In Pakistan's case, despite concrete evidence that China is behind the former's nuclear bomb, Washington would be happy with a mere pledge that it would restrict its co-operation with Islamabad in this sensitive area.
The deal is under negotiation between officials of the two
countries and an agreement is expected to be concluded before the
US China summit in Washington this month-end, reports UNI, quoting the Washington Times.
China has refused to join the Nuclear Suppliers Group
which restricts such sale, but is expected to announce its
adherence to the pact at the summit between President Jiang
Zemin and President Clinton beginning in Washington on October 29.
If the agreement is reached, Clinton will certify that
China is no longer helping non-nuclear states build atomic weapons,
a declaration that would allow the US nuclear industry to sell
reactors and technology to Beijing. This could provide the US
energy sector with $ 60 billion over 25 years, says the daily.
Other officials said the administration was offering to lift the
ban on nuclear equipment sale to China even if Beijing agreed to
sign a statement about ending nuclear co-operation with Iran and
other would-be nuclear powers.
China says it suspended some nuclear projects with Iran and
reports indicate that Chinese involvement in a nuclear ''conversion'' facility has been halted, according to US officials.
''The only case, where there have been concerns in the past about
Chinese assistance to unsafeguarded nuclear facilities, is Pakistan,'' the officials said, referring to the sale of ring magnets to Pakistani nuclear weapons laboratory.
US officials have determined that China has sold M-11 missiles to Pakistan, but the state department's intelligence bureau has blocked a formal intelligence declaration in this regard despite strong evidence, says the daily.
China's support of Iran's nuclear programme involves transfers
to facilities that are subject to international inspection but the
US wants them stopped because of ''Tehran's drive to
build nuclear weapons''.
Regarding Iran's missile programme, the officials said China was working closely with Tehran on solid fuel, short-range missile
systems and was providing know-how with some ''carry over'' to the
longer-range missiles Iran is developing.
UNI
EARLIER REPORTS:
China behind Pak atomic bomb
Failure of Hatf missiles drove Pak to China
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