In an interview with state-owned Pakistan Television (PTV), Aizaz Chaudhry hailed China as Pakistan’s “all-time friend” and added that as regards India’s NSG membership, China along with other countries supported the principled stance that if India is granted membership without signing the NPT, it will set a bad precedent. This helps India revisit the NSG membership question later this year or the next NSG plenary in Switzerland.
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The five countries insisted that a criteria based process be followed for allowing non NPT members into the NSG. He said the issue of India’s membership was not formally discussed at the NSG meeting this week. Neither is Pakistan.China has been walking a very fine line against India’s membership to the NSG, and has found itself increasingly isolated. They only relented to a three-hour discussion on “technical, Legal and Political Aspects of the Participation of non-NPT States in the NSG” on condition that there would be no decision. They also chose to continue discussions on “technical, legal and political aspects’ of the membership of non-NPT states in future”.
The governments reiterated firm support for the implementation of NPT as cornerstone of global non proliferation regime.
NSG members are scheduled to continue their meeting in Seoul on Friday wherein countries supporting India’s application are expected to raise it again.
Maintaining that in 2008, nobody raised the issue of India’s NPT status and nobody put precondition about criterion, he claimed it was because of US’ support and India’s “strong diplomacy” that the country got the waiver. This is when India has had an impeccable record in the sector compared to Pakistan’s patchy record -its nuclear scientist A Q Khan had leaked nuclear secrets to North Korea. Opposition to India’s entry came from countries, such as Norway, New Zealand, South Africa, Brazil, and China. “We must strive for consensus by thinking out of the box”, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said at a briefing.
Although reports suggested that a few other countries, including Switzerland, Turkey and Ireland, had also brought up doubts about allowing India into the club, the ministry’s statement chose to only bring up hurdles raised by “one country”. Although the Indian officials did not disclose issues discussed by the two leaders, senior spokesperson of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs Vikas Swarup said that Modi had requested Beijing to positively contribute to the emerging consensus in Seoul.
“It is also our understanding that most countries want an early decision”.
Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar, who is camping here, had earlier met the Brazilian delegation. India says the NPT is “flawed and discriminatory”. “There is thus no contradiction between the NPT and India’s closer engagement with the NSG”, said Swarup. “We are confident that the NSG will recognise these benefits as it deliberates further on the issue”.
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India and Pakistan are the two non-NPT states aspiring for the membership of the 48-member global nuclear trade cartel.
