Why in News?

• Recently, China and Pakistan signed an agreement for a 1,200 MW nuclear power plant in Pakistan.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• About China-Pak Nuclear Deal (Details, Existing Plants, Implications of Deal, etc.)
• About NSG (Objectives, Members, Why India not a Member?)

About the China-Pakistan Nuclear Deal:

• On June 20, China and Pakistan signed an agreement for a 1,200 MW nuclear power plant in the Chashma nuclear complex in Pakistan.
  • This is the fifth reactor at the Chashma nuclear complex (C-5).
• C-5 will be the biggest reactor at Chashma, where China has already constructed four phases of the complex, with four reactors of around 325 MW each.
• It will use China’s Hualong One reactor, which has also been installed in two plants in Karachi.

How Many Nuclear Power Plants Has China Built for Pakistan?

• Pakistan is currently operating six China-built nuclear plants, four smaller reactors at the Chashma complex and two at the Karachi Nuclear Power Plant (KANUPP).
• Pakistan’s oldest reactor, the Canada-built KANUPP-1, is now decommissioned, while KANUPP-2 and KANUPP-3 both use 1,100 MW Chinese Hualong One reactors.
  • KANUPP-3, with a $2.7 billion investment, went fully online in the past year.
• According to Pakistan’s Ministry of Energy, faced with a continuing energy deficit, financial crisis and rising import bills, the country needs to urgently increase the share of renewables and nuclear energy.
• Currently, thermal sources account for 61% of the energy mix, while hydropower accounts for 24%, nuclear 12%, and wind and solar only 3%.
  • The Alternative and Renewable Energy Policy rolled out in 2019 envisages increasing the share of renewables to 30% by 2030.

Implications of the Recent China-Pak Nuclear Deal:

• China’s civilian nuclear projects with Pakistan have come under scrutiny because the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) explicitly prohibits the transfer of nuclear technology by its members to countries that have not signed the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
• China has argued that the Chashma 3 and Chashma 4 reactors were conceived under its earlier Chashma deals with Pakistan that pre-dated its joining of the NSG.

How this deal is different from India-U.S. nuclear deal?

• India and the U.S. had to seek a waiver from the NSG for their civilian nuclear deal, which was granted in 2008. However, neither Pakistan nor China has got waiver for the current deal.
• Also, India was granted the waiver after India undertook a number of commitments such as:
  • placing facilities under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards,
  • separating civilian and military nuclear programmes 
  • a continued moratorium on testing.
• Pakistan has not given such commitments for this deal.

About Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG):

• The Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) is a multilateral export control regime and a group of nuclear supplier countries.
• The group seeks to prevent nuclear proliferation by controlling the export of materials, equipment and technology that can be used to manufacture nuclear weapons.
• The NSG was founded in response to the Indian nuclear test in May 1974 and first met in November 1975.
• It is an informal organization, and its guidelines are non-binding. Decisions, including on membership, are made by consensus.
• Currently, the NSG has 48 participating governments. The NSG chair for 2023 - 2024 is Brazil.

Why is India Not a Member of the NSG?

• India is a non-signatory to NPT –
  • Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is an international treaty, which came into force in 1970.
  • The main objective of NPT is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology.
  • All the participants of NSG are the signatory of NPT. India, Pakistan and Israel have not signed NPT.
  • India refused to sign NPT because the NPT defines nuclear weapons states as those that tested devices before 1967.
• Opposition from China –
  • While a majority of the 48-member group backed India's membership, China along with few other countries have opposed India's admission.
    • Other countries that are opposing India's inclusion in the NSG are Turkey, South Africa, Ireland and New Zealand.
  • Experts believe that China's resistance is to facilitate the entry of Pakistan, a close ally of China, in NSG.
    • China has even argued that if India can be let in without signing NPT, then Pakistan should be granted the membership as well.
    • However, track record of Pakistan is not good. US, in 2018, sanctioned 7 Pakistani nuclear firms for nuclear proliferation.
  • Since, NSG works on the basis of consensus, China's opposition is making it difficult for India to gain entry.