China has agreed in principle to sell two more nuclear plants worth $1.2 billion to Pakistan to help the country meet its growing energy requirements, a news report said on Tuesday.
The understanding on the possible deal was reached during President General Pervez Musharraf's February 19 visit to Beijing, English Daily Dawn reported while quoting an unnamed senior official.
China helped Pakistan develop the 300-megawatt Chashma nuclear power plant and is assisting to develop the second one, Chashma-2, with the same capacity that will become operational in the next five years.
In Beijing, Musharraf met top Chinese leadership and during his public engagements openly spoke of Pakistan needing "many many more" nuclear power plants to meet his country's growing energy demands.
At the end of his five-day visit, he said China agreed to continue cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy but offered no further details.
Pakistan plans to generate 8,800 megawatts of nuclear energy by 2030 and its civilian facilities are under the safeguards of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The country is seeking similar cooperation from the US and the issue of peaceful use of nuclear energy will be high on the agenda when President Bush visits Pakistan in the next few days as part of his South Asian trip, a foreign office spokesperson said Monday.
{{/usCountry}}The country is seeking similar cooperation from the US and the issue of peaceful use of nuclear energy will be high on the agenda when President Bush visits Pakistan in the next few days as part of his South Asian trip, a foreign office spokesperson said Monday.
{{/usCountry}}"Initially China is expected to provide us two more nuclear plants of 325 megawatts each, preferably in 2006," the official was quoted as saying by the report.