China may give to Pakistan five more nuclear power plants with each having a capacity of 300 to 1,000 megawatt, said a news report. Chinese Senior Vice Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who arrived in Islamabad on Tuesday on a two-day official visit, will hold talks on matters of mutual interest with President Pervez Musharraf, Prime Minister Mohammadmian Soomro, Foreign Minister Inamul Haq and Foreign Secretary Riaz Mohammad Khan, the report carried by the leading English language daily The News said. Western diplomats based in Islamabad are describing the visit as of extraordinary importance because it is taking place at a time when the United States and India are going to take some important decisions regarding their bilateral accord on the civil nuclear technology. Under the agreement, the United States will provide civil nuclear technology and power plants to India. According to diplomatic sources, the diplomats of Western countries are of the view that China, which has already agreed to give Pakistan 300-megawatt nuclear power plants for Chashma nuclear power project-I and II, might also give two more plants of the same capacity for phase III and IV of the Chashma power project under the memorandum of understanding already signed between the two sides. The sources said these diplomats also believe that Beijing might also offer Islamabad a 300-megawatt nuclear power plant for the second phase of the Karachi Nuclear Power Plant to overcome power shortage in the commercial capital of the country to a large extent. As China has started manufacturing 1,000-megawatt nuclear power plants, it is in a position to offer many such plants to Pakistan, the sources said.
