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http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewForeignBurea...5Carchive%5C200511%5CFOR20051107a.html
China Troubled by US Nuke Offer to India
By Patrick Goodenough
CNSNews.com International Editor
November 07, 2005
(CNSNews.com) - As the Bush administration seeks congressional approval for a landmark agreement to restore nuclear cooperation with India, China's state media has spoken out against the proposed deal.
Beijing, which up to now has not commented on the pact announced last July, said through its People's Daily mouthpiece that the nuclear deal would have a "negative impact" on the global nuclear order and non-proliferation efforts.
During a visit to Washington by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, President Bush said he would work with Congress and with foreign governments to amend domestic polices and international treaties, to enable the U.S. to achieve "full civil nuclear cooperation with India."
Bilateral cooperation was halted because of India's pursuit of nuclear weapons, which culminated in successful weapons tests in 1998. In India, the proposed agreement is seen as tantamount to U.S. recognition of India as the world's sixth nuclear weapons state.
In return, India will take steps, including separating military and civilian programs and facilities, placing civilian facilities under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards, maintaining a unilateral moratorium on nuclear testing, and undertaking not to not transfer sensitive nuclear technology to states that do not already have it.
Beijing's attack comes ahead of Bush's visit to China, scheduled for Nov. 19-21.
The People's Daily complained that the U.S. "often condemns other countries for irresponsible [nuclear] transfers."
Now, however, the U.S. had no hesitation in revising laws and taking the lead in making an exception for India, it said, accusing Washington of buying New Delhi and undercutting the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT).
The paper said the U.S.-India pact would lead to other countries following suit, resulting in "a domino effect of nuclear proliferation."
China's criticism places it in the same camp on this issue as India's communist parties, some non-proliferation scholars, congressional critics including Senator Joseph Biden, and former President Jimmy Carter.
Support for Bush's initiative has come Britain, France, Russia and - notably - from the IAEA itself.
The U.S. this year said it was now policy to help India become a "major world power" in the 21st century, and some political analysts see Bush's nuclear cooperation offer as part of a strategy to bolster India as a counterweight to a fast-rising China.
India has long espoused a "non-aligned" position on foreign policy, but China's criticism illustrates that India's strengthening ties with Washington could carry a sizeable diplomatic cost for New Delhi.
(In another area, India's decision to support the European Union-U.S. position on Iran's nuclear program at a recent IAEA meeting has already brought warnings that Iran could retaliate in a way that effects energy supplies to India.
India's vote at the IAEA was controversial at home, but won praise from U.S. congressmen, some of whom had said India should be supportive on Iran if it wants to enjoy nuclear cooperation with the U.S. It remains unclear what position India will take at the next IAEA meeting, on Nov. 24, when the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog considers whether to refer Iran to the Security Council.)
After decades of chilly relations - in part brought about by Beijing's support for India's archrival, Pakistan - ties between India and China have been improving, and the attack on the U.S.-India nuclear pact could jeopardize the rapprochement.
A leading Indian political commentator, C. Raja Mohan, said New Delhi would be "deeply troubled" by China's criticism.
He recalled that India had complained bitterly during the 1980s-1990s about China's support for Pakistan's nuclear and missile programs
"[India] will find it a bit rich if Beijing now opposes international civilian nuclear energy cooperation with India ..." Mohan wrote in the Indian Express.
A campaign by China to deny India the benefits of civilian nuclear energy cooperation with the U.S. "could reopen New Delhi's many past grievances against Beijing," he said.
'Coming of age'
In Washington meanwhile, administration officials have begun to seek congressional support for re-establishing nuclear cooperation with India.
"We believe it is in our national interest to develop a strong, forward-looking relationship with India as the political and economic focus of the global system shifts toward Asia," undersecretary of state for political affairs Nicholas Burns told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last week.
""It is time to shift our U.S.-India relationship to a new strategic partnership for the decades ahead."
Burns cited India's vote against Iran at the IAEA, saying it "reflects India's coming of age as a responsible state in the global nonproliferation mainstream."
He argued that it would be strategically wiser for India to be brought into compliance with the international non-proliferation regime than "to consign it to a place outside that system."
Testifying at the same hearing, Nonproliferation Policy Education Center executive director Henry Sokolski cautioned lawmakers against rushing to approve the deal.
He recommended that approval be conditioned on India committing itself to specific steps taken by "other responsible, advanced nuclear states."
These should include forswearing the production of fissile materials for military purposes and undertaking not to enlarge the size of its nuclear weapons arsenal, Sokolski said.
Committee chairman Senator Richard Lugar said it was "clearly in the interests of the United States to develop a strong strategic relationship with India."
But he also described India's nuclear record as "unsatisfying" and it was important to establish the answer to questions such as how civil nuclear cooperation would strengthen the U.S.-Indian strategic relationship; and what effect the proposed deal would have "on other proliferation challenges such as Iran and North Korea and the export policies of Russia and China."
Biden, the committee's ranking Democrat, was quoted as informing Burns that a lot of questions remained, saying approval "is not a slam dunk."
----------------------------------
ok. Forget Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons
And Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.
It is also said that Japan is seeking excuses having nukes soon.
OK.
Welcome to this nuke world! :clock:
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewForeignBurea...5Carchive%5C200511%5CFOR20051107a.html
China Troubled by US Nuke Offer to India
By Patrick Goodenough
CNSNews.com International Editor
November 07, 2005
(CNSNews.com) - As the Bush administration seeks congressional approval for a landmark agreement to restore nuclear cooperation with India, China's state media has spoken out against the proposed deal.
Beijing, which up to now has not commented on the pact announced last July, said through its People's Daily mouthpiece that the nuclear deal would have a "negative impact" on the global nuclear order and non-proliferation efforts.
During a visit to Washington by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, President Bush said he would work with Congress and with foreign governments to amend domestic polices and international treaties, to enable the U.S. to achieve "full civil nuclear cooperation with India."
Bilateral cooperation was halted because of India's pursuit of nuclear weapons, which culminated in successful weapons tests in 1998. In India, the proposed agreement is seen as tantamount to U.S. recognition of India as the world's sixth nuclear weapons state.
In return, India will take steps, including separating military and civilian programs and facilities, placing civilian facilities under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards, maintaining a unilateral moratorium on nuclear testing, and undertaking not to not transfer sensitive nuclear technology to states that do not already have it.
Beijing's attack comes ahead of Bush's visit to China, scheduled for Nov. 19-21.
The People's Daily complained that the U.S. "often condemns other countries for irresponsible [nuclear] transfers."
Now, however, the U.S. had no hesitation in revising laws and taking the lead in making an exception for India, it said, accusing Washington of buying New Delhi and undercutting the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT).
The paper said the U.S.-India pact would lead to other countries following suit, resulting in "a domino effect of nuclear proliferation."
China's criticism places it in the same camp on this issue as India's communist parties, some non-proliferation scholars, congressional critics including Senator Joseph Biden, and former President Jimmy Carter.
Support for Bush's initiative has come Britain, France, Russia and - notably - from the IAEA itself.
The U.S. this year said it was now policy to help India become a "major world power" in the 21st century, and some political analysts see Bush's nuclear cooperation offer as part of a strategy to bolster India as a counterweight to a fast-rising China.
India has long espoused a "non-aligned" position on foreign policy, but China's criticism illustrates that India's strengthening ties with Washington could carry a sizeable diplomatic cost for New Delhi.
(In another area, India's decision to support the European Union-U.S. position on Iran's nuclear program at a recent IAEA meeting has already brought warnings that Iran could retaliate in a way that effects energy supplies to India.
India's vote at the IAEA was controversial at home, but won praise from U.S. congressmen, some of whom had said India should be supportive on Iran if it wants to enjoy nuclear cooperation with the U.S. It remains unclear what position India will take at the next IAEA meeting, on Nov. 24, when the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog considers whether to refer Iran to the Security Council.)
After decades of chilly relations - in part brought about by Beijing's support for India's archrival, Pakistan - ties between India and China have been improving, and the attack on the U.S.-India nuclear pact could jeopardize the rapprochement.
A leading Indian political commentator, C. Raja Mohan, said New Delhi would be "deeply troubled" by China's criticism.
He recalled that India had complained bitterly during the 1980s-1990s about China's support for Pakistan's nuclear and missile programs
"[India] will find it a bit rich if Beijing now opposes international civilian nuclear energy cooperation with India ..." Mohan wrote in the Indian Express.
A campaign by China to deny India the benefits of civilian nuclear energy cooperation with the U.S. "could reopen New Delhi's many past grievances against Beijing," he said.
'Coming of age'
In Washington meanwhile, administration officials have begun to seek congressional support for re-establishing nuclear cooperation with India.
"We believe it is in our national interest to develop a strong, forward-looking relationship with India as the political and economic focus of the global system shifts toward Asia," undersecretary of state for political affairs Nicholas Burns told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last week.
""It is time to shift our U.S.-India relationship to a new strategic partnership for the decades ahead."
Burns cited India's vote against Iran at the IAEA, saying it "reflects India's coming of age as a responsible state in the global nonproliferation mainstream."
He argued that it would be strategically wiser for India to be brought into compliance with the international non-proliferation regime than "to consign it to a place outside that system."
Testifying at the same hearing, Nonproliferation Policy Education Center executive director Henry Sokolski cautioned lawmakers against rushing to approve the deal.
He recommended that approval be conditioned on India committing itself to specific steps taken by "other responsible, advanced nuclear states."
These should include forswearing the production of fissile materials for military purposes and undertaking not to enlarge the size of its nuclear weapons arsenal, Sokolski said.
Committee chairman Senator Richard Lugar said it was "clearly in the interests of the United States to develop a strong strategic relationship with India."
But he also described India's nuclear record as "unsatisfying" and it was important to establish the answer to questions such as how civil nuclear cooperation would strengthen the U.S.-Indian strategic relationship; and what effect the proposed deal would have "on other proliferation challenges such as Iran and North Korea and the export policies of Russia and China."
Biden, the committee's ranking Democrat, was quoted as informing Burns that a lot of questions remained, saying approval "is not a slam dunk."
----------------------------------
ok. Forget Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons
And Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.
It is also said that Japan is seeking excuses having nukes soon.
OK.
Welcome to this nuke world! :clock:
