China helping Saudi Arabia expand its nuclear programme

https://english.alaraby.co.uk ^ | August 05, 2020 | TheNewArab

[RomanSoldier19]

China is helping Saudi Arabia develop its nuclear facilities amid fears recent advances are a sign that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's chilling threat that the kingdom could develop nuclear weapons might become true.

The Wall Street Journal reported this week that China is working on the development of a facility in Saudi Arabia that could extract uranium yellowcake from uranium ore, a huge shift in Riyadh's well-publicised civilian nuclear programme.

In a highly enriched state, Yellowcake can be used in the development of nuclear weapons.

The facility is believed to be located near the northwest Saudi city of Ula and was built with the assistance of two Chinese entities.

Saudi Arabia and China signed an agreement in 2012 on civilian nuclear energy, but the US under President Donald Trump has also discussed with Riyadh the sale of nuclear technology and reactors.

US arms sales negotiators have said Riyadh must first agree to safeguards in order for such transfers to go ahead but Riyadh appears to have turned to Beijing to bypass these restrictions.

"The reason we do nuclear technology development deals with countries is so that they will commit to the Gold Standard and commit to a working relationship with the United States. The Saudis are trying to have it both ways, and we can’t allow them to get away with that," Sen. Chris Murphy (D., Conn.) told the WSJ.

[RomanSoldier19]

[Brilliant]

I doubt the Iranians will like this.

[who_would_fardels_bear]

Why don't we say that from here on out the only new nuclear technology the world will allow must be thorium-based?

My understanding is that it is safer, that thorium is less rare than uranium, and that it is more difficult to convert thorium or its byproducts into weapons-grade material.

Any country that pursues uranium or plutonium based nuclear technology should be assumed to be developing weapons of mass destruction and should have whatever facilities they develop obliterated from the planet.

[wastedyears]

Quick, let’s mobilize the military and go there to shut it down. We’re the world police or something like that. We have the obligation to send good men and women to their deaths, and waste billions of dollars.

[EEGator]

I don’t like this.

[Jan_Sobieski]

Petro-Renminbi to replace the Petro-Dollar?

[SunkenCiv]

China is working on the development of a facility in Saudi Arabia that could extract uranium yellowcake from uranium ore, a huge shift in Riyadh's well-publicised civilian nuclear programme.

[SJackson]

Middle East and terrorism, occasional political and Jewish issues Ping List. High Volume If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.

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[Rusty0604]

Thanks!