Global Security Newswire

India is seeking the backing of six smaller nuclear export control group nations in its quest to prevent China from building two new nuclear reactors in Pakistan, the Times of India reported today (see GSN, July 23).

New Delhi is using "back channels" in seeking assistance from six Nuclear Suppliers Group nations: Austria, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and Switzerland. The six nations previously collaboration in an unsuccessful bid to prevent the group from giving New Delhi a waiver to import nuclear materials and technology.

The 46-state entity seeks to limit the sale of member nations' nuclear exports to countries that have signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. Neighboring rivals Pakistan and India have both developed nuclear weapons outside the arms control treaty.

Well-informed sources said New Delhi has asked the six nations to address China's plan to provide Islamabad with another two nuclear power reactors at the Chashma atomic site.

"There is a specific plan to make them realize what is going on as they opposed [the] nuclear commerce waiver for India right till the end in 2008," a source said. "We want to see how they react now as China has completely ignored them in going ahead with its plan to supply fresh reactors to Pakistan."

The source said the Indian government has word that China is nearing readiness to begin work for two pressurized water reactors at the nuclear complex's No. 3 and 4 stations.

Beijing has maintained the deal does not violate NSG guidelines as China built the first two Chashma reactors prior to joining the export control regime in 2004. China has yet to formally notify the group of its intentions to construct the two additional power reactors, the Times reported.

New Delhi has already expressed its concerns over the nuclear deal to NSG heavyweights the United Kingdom and the United States, which has also made known its objections to the deal. China remains undeterred.

Many of the less-powerful NSG states are privately furious over Beijing's handling of the matter, according to an official. New Delhi hopes to use this anger in mounting a wider NSG campaign against the deal.

New Delhi maintains Beijing cannot grandfather the new reactors into the Chashma site as it has not mentioned the matter since joining the Nuclear Suppliers Group. China only declared its intentions once India had already achieved a breakthrough in winning an NSG waiver to rejoin the international civilian nuclear marketplace after years as an atomic pariah (Sachin Parashar, Times of India, Aug. 27).