Beijing, July 6: 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.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 6 Jul 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 6 Jul 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 7 Jul 2010 00:00:00 IST