China again said that there is no change in its stance on admission of non-NPT states into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), marring India’s chances of entering the elite club at its crucial meeting currently underway in Bern.
“As for non-NPT counties being admitted to the group, I can tell you there is no change to China’s position,” foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a media briefing.
He was replying to a question whether there is any change in China’s stand at the plenary meeting taking place in the Swiss capital, Bern.
“I want to point out that the NSG has clear rules on admission of new members and the Seoul plenary made clear mandates on how to deal with this issue. With these rules and mandates, we need to act as they dictate,” he said.
“As for the criteria regarding admitting new members, as far as I know this plenary meeting in Switzerland will follow mandate of the Seoul plenary and uphold principle of decision upon consensus and continue to discuss various dimensions like technology, law, legal and political aspects of non-NPT countries admission the group,” he said.
China’s stand, stonewalling India’s admission, has become a major stumbling block in bilateral relations between the two countries.
After India’s application for entry into the 48-member elite group which controls the nuclear trade, Pakistan, the all-weather ally of China, too had applied with the tacit backing of Beijing.
While India, which is backed by the US and a number of western countries has garnered the support of a majority of the group’s members, China has stuck to its stand that new members should sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), making India’s entry difficult as the group is guided by the consensus principle. India is not a signatory to the NPT.