--------------------------
NSG MEMBERSHIP
--------------------------
SUPPORT INDIA'S
NSG BID: US
* US has asked members of the elite club to support India's entry into the grouping during the ongoing plenary meeting in Seoul
* US calls on participating governments to support India's application, White House Press Secretary told journalists
* United States will certainly be advocating for India's membership, he said as the plenary session began in Seoul
----------------------------------------------
China on Tuesday continued to stonewall India's bid for NSG membership despite a fresh push by the US as the 48-nation grouping remained divided over the entry of a non-NPT signatory country like India.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry sang different tunes, first saying that it was not targeting any country such as India or Pakistan and then taking a swipe at the US for backing India's case citing the rule that countries which have not signed the NPT should not be allowed into NSG.
The Chinese comments came after the White House said India was “ready” for NSG membership and asked participating governments to support India's application at the plenary session of NSG in Seoul two days from now.
At the same time, Beijing said the “door is open” for discussions on the issue but then emphasised on whether criteria for memberships should be changed instead of making exceptions. In other words, China is seeking to equate India with its impeccable non-proliferation record with that of Pakistan for which it is batting.
Given this scenario and continued Chinese opposition, it is very likely that a consensus on India's membership will elude the grouping's plenary on June 23-24. Some 20 members are said to be backing India, some are undecided and some are opposed to it.
New Delhi is closely monitoring the goings-on in the South Korean capital and may depute its Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar to lobby with members if it sees any prospect of Indian bid succeeding.
------------------------------------------
Exemption must
also apply to
Pakistan: China
In an unusual move, China's state media on Tuesday defended Pakistan's nuclear record, saying it was AQ Khan who was responsible for atomic proliferation which was not backed by the government and argued that any exemption to India for NSG entry should also be given to Pakistan.
"While India strives for Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) inclusion, it prevents Pakistan from joining by insisting on the latter's bad record of nuclear proliferation. Actually, the proliferation carried out by Pakistan was done by Abdul Qadeer Khan, Pakistan's chief nuclear scientist, and was not an official policy of the Pakistani government," an article in the state-run Global Times said.
------------------------------------
