Daily Times

BEIJING: China’s position on the non-NPT members’ participation in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) has not changed, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said on Monday.

“We support the NSG group following the mandate of the 2016 plenary session and following building consensus as well as the intergovernmental process that is open and transparent to deal with the relevant issues in a two-step approach,” she said. The 48-member plenary meet of the elite grouping, which regulates global nuclear trade, is likely to take place at Bern, Switzerland this June.

The statement from Chunying is an indication that China will again block India’s request at the upcoming plenary session. Previously China has opposed to India’s membership application at the NSG’s plenary session in Seoul in June 2016, and later at the consultative group meeting in November its plea was again put down by the Chinese.

The continuous opposition by China is due the reason that India is a non-signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Even though New Delhi is being backed by the United States and other members of the group, but Beijing argues that if India can be let in why not Pakistan, since both the neighbours have applied for the NSG membership and both of them are NPT member.

India has also recently boycotted Beijing’s ambitious One Belt and One Road (OBOR) Initiative and has opposed to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) on the pretext that CPEC passes through Pakistan-administered Kashmir, which is a disputed territory.

With these prevailing circumstances, India’s chances of entering the NSG are very bleak because NSG works according to the consensus principle and to become a member it must gain China’s support.