China kills India’s NSG hopes, again

Simran Sodhi

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 23

India’s hope of getting through to the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) this year virtually came to an end today with China reiterating its opposition to India’s bid. This comes in the backdrop of the ongoing NSG plenary session in the Swiss capital Bern that concludes today.

India had kept its outreach to the NSG members in the run up to the Bern session low key, keeping in view the negative backlash it endured last year after the Seoul fiasco. Sources said the government pushed forward India’s case with various NSG members, but in a quieter way.

The problem, however, seems to be that with China not budging from its position, and the NSG working on the basis of a consensus, India’s chances have hardly moved forward. Smaller countries like Turkey and New Zealand also continue to hold on to their reservations about India’s entry into the group.

“As for non-NPT countries being admitted to the group, I can tell you there is no change to China’s position,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said today. “I want to point out that the NSG has clear rules on expansion and the Seoul plenary made clear mandates on how to deal with this issue. With these rules and mandates, we need to act as they dictate.”

“As for the criteria regarding admitting new members,” Geng added, “as far as I know this plenary meeting in Switzerland will follow the mandate of the Seoul plenary and uphold the principle of decision upon consensus, and continue to discuss various dimensions like technology, law, legal and political aspects of non-NPT countries admission to the group”.

China has further complicated the situation by holding talks in Islamabad on Pakistan’s entry into the NSG. Pakistan also followed India’s example and has been pushing for a berth, citing the fact that if India, a non-signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) can be considered, then why not other non-NPT states. India has been arguing that its case needs to be de-hyphenated from Pakistan’s, but China seems to have other thoughts.