China has always supported a full discussion within the NSG on the membership issue and a decision based on the consensus of all sides through consultation, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei said.
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China is seen as leading opposition to the USA move to include India in the 48-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), but other countries, including New Zealand, Turkey, South Africa and Austria, also oppose Indian membership, according to diplomats.
Hong, however, claimed that the NSG had “no deliberation on any items related to the accession to the NSG by India or any other countries that are not signatories to the NPT” in its “unofficial meeting” in Vienna on June 9.
According to PTI, sources in Vienna said the chair of the NSG has taken note of views expressed by member countries and will list the matter for further discussion at NSG plenary scheduled to be held in Seoul on 24 June.
India also has deals with more than eight countries for supplies of uranium, and has signed agreements for reactors with France, Russia and the US. “The NPT is the political and legal basis for the entire global non-proliferation system”, he said, adding that China would support the group in further talks to come to a consensus at an early date.
U.S. President Barack Obama, who met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House on Tuesday, after the meeting announced that the United States strongly supported India’s bid to join the NSG. “China’s position applies to all non-NPT countries and targets no one in particular”, the statement said.
“The discussion focused on practical issues of the two countries’ cooperation, including preparations for the top-level contacts to be held shortly”, the statement said.
“China supports further discussions by the NSG to try to form a consensus at an early date. China will proceed with relevant discussion in a constructive manner”, Hong said.
“We need to pursue closer relations with India, with Pakistan, and they need to also pursue closer relations on the security front, certainly, with each other”, State Department Deputy Spokesman, Mark Toner, told reporters at his daily news conference yesterday.
Total consensus in the NSG is needed for any country to join as a member.
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On being suggested by a journalist that the USA position on this issue may further strain already tense relations between India and Pakistan, Toner urged Pakistan to stop terrorists from using its soil to conduct operations inside India.
