NSG membership to India not tightly closed, says Chinese media

Beijing: The Chinese state run media on Friday said that India’s entry into elite Nuclear Supplier Group (NSG) is not tightly closed and it should understand China’s concern over the disputed South China Sea issue.

“India and China are not rivals but partners. The New Delhi and Beijing are heading for a season of top level diplomatic talks and both the nations should work together to keep the disagreements in check,” Xinhua news agency said.

"The China is hopeful that India would fully comprehend Beijing’s concern over the South China as it correlates with our national interest,” they added.

The commentary of the Chinese media comes ahead of foreign minister Wang Yi's visit to India.

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What else it said:

• India has wrongly blamed China for blocking its entry into the NSG.
• There is no precedent for a non-Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) signatory to become an NSG member.
• NPT is a must for the entry of new members into the 48-member body which controls global nuclear commerce.
• The New Delhi should not be downhearted as the door to the NSG is not tightly closed.

It may be mentioned that China is on the back foot over the issue of South China Sea after the International tribunal quashed its claim on the area. The case was won by United States, Australia and Japan besides the Philippines, which won the case, asked China to implement the verdict.

China termed the verdict as illegal and null.