U.S.-India nuke deal attractive to others

WASHINGTON, Oct. 24 (UPI) -- China's pact to help Pakistan build two nuclear power plants is prompting warnings of fallout from the new U.S.-India nuclear deal, experts say.

The U.S. deal is said to be pushing other countries to pursue their own relationships along the same relaxed security level.

The concern among South Asia experts and nonproliferation advocates is that the U.S. deal allows India to seek an expanded civilian nuclear program with limited safeguards. This is tempting other countries in a volatile region to seek a similar deal.

The United States has said that wouldn't happen, The Christian Science Monitor reported.

South Asia experts see a regional scramble to counterbalance the nuclear plans of often untrusted neighbors.

In the case of Pakistan, they say, it's an effort to offset the expanding U.S.-India strategic partnership.