As negotiations on India’s membership to the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) stumble in Seoul, a leading Chinese academic has proposed that New Delhi should first tap the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for support in order to advance its goal of joining the 48-nation club.
In response to e-mailed questions by The Hindu , Long Xingchun, Director of Center of India Studies, China West Normal University, referred to the “waiver” that India had received in 2008 following diplomatic exertions by the United States and hectic lobbying by South Block. This gave New Delhi an exemption from NSG rules governing civilian nuclear trade.
“Everybody knows the fact that India’s nuclear weapon programme is irreversible. (If) NSG may give India a waiver, why not the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)? The real problem is not from China but the consensus of P5 of the UNSC,” observed Mr. Long. He pointed out that India’s entry to the NSG was being blocked not due to political reasons, but on technical grounds. “Even (if) China agreed to support India, it (would have) no influence to Austria, Ireland, the Netherlands and South Africa,” he said.
Mr. Long said that India was unlikely to join the “Pivot to Asia” of the United States, widely seen as a doctrine aimed at the containment of China’s rise, in case it was denied membership to the NSG. “I don’t think Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indian government will join US ‘pivot to Asia’ because of failure of entry into NSG. India’s national interests would go from bad to worse by such step. India should be patient, and try to lobby other opponents. In my view, China would not be the only country to block India’s entry into NSG. India should take effective measures to ease the concerns from other opponents.”
The Chinese academic, who has weighed into the NSG debate by writing in China’s state run tabloid Global Times , denied that apart from India’s track record on non-proliferation, New Delhi’s support for China’s entry to the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) club as a quid pro quo, buttressed by opening up the Indian market for nuclear commerce with China, would persuade Beijing to change its mind on India’s entry to the NSG.
“I reiterate the fact that China is no barrier to India’s NSG entry. At the same time, China has no strong and anxious desire to join MTCR; and the quality of Chinese High Speed Railway is good, and price is cheaper than other competitors, (and) it is in the interest of India. So India does not do any favour to China, (and it) may not be a tool to exchange with China.” He added: “Finally, I must emphasise that NSG is not all of
China-India relations. It is not the most important issue between two countries. Entry into NSG is not a strategic and urgent need for India’s development. (So) be patient.”
