Obama Proposes 30-Year Renewal of Nuclear Trade Agreement with China
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Official White House Photo by Pete Souza(WASHINGTON) — President Obama authorized a renewal of a commercial nuclear agreement with China on Tuesday, proposing an extension of nuclear transfer between the two nations for another 30 years.
The proposal was outlined in a formal letter to Congress on Tuesday and was supported by the U.S. nuclear industry. The current agreement, penned in 1985, expires in December.
The extension reportedly has bipartisan support, though some lawmakers are concerned about the risks to U.S. intellectual property, as well as the fear that the trade of nuclear material, reactors, components and technology for research and power production could aid China in acquiring fuel for nuclear weapons.
“The proposed agreement provides a comprehensive framework for peaceful nuclear cooperation with China based on a mutual commitment to nuclear nonproliferation,” Obama wrote in the letter to Congress.
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