US Congress debates China deal renewal

China’s record on nuclear proliferation is facing congressional criticism as US President Barack Obama’s administration seeks renewal of a 30-year agreement that enables US involvement in China’s fast-growing atomic energy industry.

It is a different beast and far less contentious than the new nuclear deal between Iran, the US and five other world powers aimed at preventing Tehran from acquiring atomic weapons. China has had the bomb for 50 years and has a stockpile of about 250 weapons.

This agreement facilitates the transfer of US technology for civilian use, and blocking or delaying it could complicate already tense US-China relations. In September, Obama is to host Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House amid growing strains over Beijing’s island-building in the South China Sea and the alleged cyber theft of US government and trade secrets.

There are also major commercial implications. The US nuclear industry is warning it needs swift renewal of the agreement, which expires at the end of this year. Four US-designed reactors worth US$8 billion are under construction in China and dozens more are planned or proposed, which industry advocates claim could support tens of thousands of US jobs.

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