China says NPT must for India’s entry into NSG

Beijing, January 31 

India must sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) to gain entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), China said on Thursday, asserting that “patient negotiations” were required for New Delhi's admission to the group as there is no precedent for the inclusion of non-NPT countries.

China has been opposing India's entry into the 48-member NSG on the ground that India is not a signatory to the NPT, though the other P5 members, including the US and Russia, backed its case based on New Delhi's non-proliferation record. China, France, Russia, Britain and the US have concluded their two meetings here to discuss issues related to nuclear disarmament, nuclear non-proliferation and peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at the end of the successful conference the member countries reached an important consensus to jointly uphold the responsibilities for international peace and security. “We will uphold the NPT mechanism. We underscore its importance as the cornerstone of international non-proliferation system and also an important component of international security. We promise to enforce the NPT fully and comprehensively,” he said. — PTI