WASHINGTON, April 18: The new nuclear arrangement in South Asia will be one of the subjects President Bush may discuss with the Chinese president when he meets him on Thursday, diplomatic sources told Dawn.

President Hu Jintao kicked off a four-day US visit on Tuesday in Washington state, where he’ll meet business leaders, including Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates.

His visit comes at a time of unease in US-China relations with some American businessmen and political leaders openly complaining that Beijing is using its new found economic and political clout to counter US influence in the world.

President Hu’s summit with President Bush on Thursday will cover a broad agenda — from China’s currency and trade policies to Iran’s and North Korea’s nuclear programmes — but the emerging nuclear scenario in South Asia is also expected to figure prominently in these talks.

Diplomatic observers in Washington say that the Indo-US nuclear deal, finalized during President Bush’s visit to New Delhi last month, will have far-reaching consequences both for China and Pakistan

While Pakistan has openly protested against the deal, urging the US to offer a similar deal to Islamabad, China also has expressed concerns.

The US, however, has rejected the demand for a similar accord, saying that India and Pakistan were ‘two different cases’.

Last week, a spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry urged India to adhere to the global non-proliferation regime while implementing the agreement it has signed with the US.

But on Monday an Indian foreign office spokesman told reporters in New Delhi that India would not cede the right to conduct nuclear tests to secure an agreement with the US.

“India has already conveyed to the US that such a provision has no place in the proposed bilateral agreement,” spokesman Navtej Sarna said.

At a recent briefing, US assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian affairs, Richard Boucher acknowledged that as a major member of the IAEA and the Nuclear Suppliers Group, China has a key role to play in the new nuclear arrangement in South Asia.

He said that when he went to Vienna last month to seek NSG’s support for the Indo-US nuclear deal, China was one of the countries he consulted.

“We certainly spent some time talking to the Chinese. I expect I’ll continue talking to the Chinese as time goes forward as a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group who we expect to take a responsible position on these issues.”

Official circles in Washington also have expressed a keen interest in media reports that to cope with the consequences of the Indo-US deal, Pakistan is trying to make a similar arrangement with China.

Mr Boucher, when asked at a recent briefing to comment on Pakistan’s efforts, said any nuclear arrangement between Islamabad and Beijing would require the approval of the 45-nation NSG.

The Bush administration is helping India get NSG’s endorsement for the Indo-US nuclear deal but is unlikely to make a similar move for Pakistan.