Washington, July 23: The US has said it would vote against an exemption for China to sell two civil nuclear reactors to Pakistan at the Nuclear Suppliers Group meeting, in a new move to step up pressure to get the controversial deal annulled.
Making it clear that the US would oppose the recent decision of China to sell two nuclear reactors to Pakistan, a top Obama administration official told lawmakers that Washington would vote against the Sino-Pak deal when it comes before the Nuclear Suppliers Group.
This is for the first time that such a clear statement has emerged from the Obama Administration, days after the Secretary of State, Ms Hillary Clinton, told Pakistan that US would work with it on civil nuclear energy, during her just concluded Islamabad visit.
“Yes sir, by definition, we do not support any activity that goes against the guidelines,” said Mr Vann H Van Diepen, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for International Security and Non Proliferation, in response to a question from Congressman Ed Royce, at a Congressional hearing convened by the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Royce, who is co-chair of House India Caucus, had questions about the administration’s stand on the Sino-Pak nuclear deal. The State Department official said the US would vote against any exemption for China to sell two civil nuclear reactors to Pakistan.