Washington: The United States has already communicated its "position clearly" to Islamabad and Beijing that the proposed cooperation between the two countries to construct two more nuclear reactors in Pakistan should not move forward, the State Department has said.

The Department also said that any new nuclear cooperation between Pakistan and China would require consensus approval by the NSG for an exception to the guidelines.

"Although Pakistan's energy needs are real and increasing, we believe Pakistan's proliferation record would make NSG consensus difficult were China to request an exception," State Department Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs Matthew Reynolds said in a letter to Congressman Edward J Markey.

Markey had written to the State Department in October making the argument that the process of Indo-US nuclear deal has sent wrong signals to China and Pakistan. Reynolds also said that the US has sought and continue to seek clarification from Islamabad and Beijing on this matter.

Following Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari's October trip to Beijing, reports emerged that Pakistan and China had agreed to expand bilateral civil nuclear cooperation at the Chasma complex, to include the construction of two additional reactors.

"We have communicated our position clearly to our Chinese and Pakistani interlocutors at multiple levels in Washington, Beijing, and Islamabad, and have made plain our view that proposed cooperation on Chasma III and IV should not move forward."

"We also have been in contact with other NSG members, a number of whom have expressed similar concern at the recent reports," the State Department said in the letter, which was made public today.

Source : PTI