US concerned over Sino-Pak nuke ties

Concerns are mounting in Washington that President Hu Jintao will give the green light to expand China's nuclear co-operation with Pakistan during his visit to Islamabad next week. An expansion could play into the hands of non-proliferation hawks on Capitol Hill and potentially undermine an upcoming US Senate vote on a deal to legalise nuclear trade with India, the <i>Financial Times</i> reported. Washington has rejected Pakistan's requests for similar treatment. Islamabad has been pushing for a similar deal from China for well over a year. "If the US can supply nuclear energy reactors to India under what it says are adequate safeguards, why can't that logic apply to Chinese reactors for Pakistan," a Pakistani official said. Both sides said they would "continue strengthening co-operation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy" when Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf visited Beijing in February.