US to certify China stopped selling nuclear equipment to Pakistan, Iran

The United States government proposes to certify that China has stopped exporting nuclear-related equipment to Pakistan and other countries.

This will, for the first time, allow US corporate giants to sell nuclear power technology to Beijing.

According to the Washington Post, the certification could be the key topic for US President Bill Clinton's meeting with his Chinese counterpart Jiang Zemin next month.

At meetings with House members and aides last week, and Senate staff on Thursday, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Non-proliferation Robert J Einhorn said China had made strides in its efforts to cease selling nuclear technology, says the daily which quoted participants.

He told lawmakers that, as part of the deal, China has agreed to cancel or postpone indefinitely several projects at secret nuclear facilities in Pakistan, and a controversial uranium conversion facility in Iran.

Though Sinhorn stopped short of declaring President Clinton would certify China has ceased all such activity, several participants said he suggested that the 'die was cast'.

In a telephone interview to the daily, he said, "We have made substantial progress towards meeting the requirements for certification, but we are not yet there."

The paper quoted an official saying that one issue which continues to separate the Americans and the Chinese is the US insistence that China expand its regulations to include nuclear technology that has both military and civilian applications -- such as ring magnets (which reportedly were sold to Pakistan last year.)

The proposed certification would bolster not only Sino-US relations but the American nuclear energy industry, too. Energy companies such as Westinghouse, General Electric and ABB Combustion have lobbied intensively for the certification.

The US and China signed a nuclear co-operation agreement in 1985 but the Congress, worried about Chinese sales of nuclear weapons technology to Pakistan and Iran, passed a law that required the President to first certify that China had stopped such proliferation. Neither Ronald Reagan, George Bush or the first-term Clinton granted the certification.

China has been supplying nuclear technology to Pakistan and Iran since 1980.

UNI