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Desperate in opposing India’s bid to join the Nuclear Suppliers Group or NSG, China’s official media warns today that if New Delhi gets the membership it will not only touch a “raw nerve” in Pakistan and will increase a nuclear arms race in the region, but also “jeopardise” Beijing’s national interests.
“India and Pakistan, both nuclear powers in the region, keep alert to each other’s nuclear capabilities. India’s application for NSG membership and its potential consequences will inevitably touch a raw nerve in Pakistan, its traditional rival in the region,” it stated.
“As Pakistan is not willing to see an enlarging gap in nuclear power with India, a nuclear race is a likely outcome. This will not only paralyse regional security, but also jeopardise China’s national interests,” the article stated.
Modi made a historic visit of five countries to make sure he has the numbers for his country’s entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG)” ahead of the plenary meeting of the group expected to be held in Seoul next week.
“The US and some NSG members have given a push to India’s membership bid, but the opposition from China, seems to have irritated India,” it stated.
China is leading the opposition to the US move to include India in the 48-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). According to diplomats and international relationship experts, while most of the countries backed India’s membership, a few countries, including prominent New Zealand, Turkey, South Africa and Austria also oppose India’s membership with a surprise to Indian diplomats.
The NSG is the international nodal body to monitor the critical issues relating to the nuclear sector, and its members are allowed to trade in and export nuclear technology.
The group works under the principle of unanimity and even one country’s vote against India will scuttle its bid.
“Beijing insists that a prerequisite of New Delhi’s entry is that it must be a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT),” the commentary said.
“The deliberations of the US are also clear. With India’s NSG membership, the US, the world’s largest producer of nuclear power, can sell its nuclear technology to India. A US company is set to build six nuclear reactors in India, an agreement made between the two countries during Prime Minister Modi’s recent visit to the US,” it said.
Beyond cooperation in the nuclear sector, the US views India as a “balancing actor in its pivot to the Asia-Pacific strategy”. Its supply of nuclear technologies to enhance India’s deterrence capability is to put China in check,” it said.
“What is missing in US and Indian motives are concerns for regional security. So far, South Asia is still facing the harsh reality that the region is mired in nuclear confrontation,” it said.
“Only when New Delhi and Islamabad take another step forward in their nonproliferation commitments can the region avoid being dragged into a nuclear confrontation,” it stated.
On Sunday, China had said members of the elite club “remain divided” on the issue of non-NPT countries joining it and insisted that there “was no deliberation” on the bid by India and other nations at the Vienna meeting.
China is understanding the reparcation of including India in the NSG the center of power in Asia will shift to India with US support and Russia will also be at India side. Economic superpower status will be a matter of time for India and with youngest nation in terms of population future will be at India side and China slowdown will further add problem to Dragons development.
