In a tense run-up to the plenary meeting of the Nuclear Suppliers Group in Seoul, and India’s subsequent failure to enter the coveted group, if one thing has emerged, it is a road-block named ‘China.’
After the failed NSG bid, social media was ripe with calls for a complete boycott of Chinese goods. Some sections of the Indian public explicitly blamed China for India’s failure.
On Tuesday, Global Times, China’s state-run paper, rather scathingly responded to India’s “strong public opinion.”
The paper is an English-language Chinese paper, under the People’s Daily.
In an editorial titled “Delhi’s NSG bid upset by rules, not Beijing” the paper justified China’s stance, and suggested it was not alone in upsetting India’s application.
Since its foundation in 1975, all NSG members shall be NPT signatories. This has become the primary principle of the organization. Now India wants to be the first exception to join the NSG without signing the NPT. It is morally legitimate for China and other members to upset India’s proposal in defense of principles.
The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is a treaty with the objective of preventing the growth and spread of nuclear weapons and technology.
The state-run newspaper effectively conveyed China’s opinion that the United States’ support to India was a bid to keep China at bay.
“US backing adds the biggest impetus to India’s ambition. By cozying up to India, Washington’s India policy actually serves the purpose of containing China. The US is not the whole world. Its endorsement does not mean India has won the backing of the world. This basic fact, however, has been ignored by India.”
The editorial, in rather unambiguous ways, served as China’s mouth-piece on the matter, calling India “spoilt” and “a bit smug in international affairs.”
“Recent years have seen the Western world giving too many thumbs up to India, but thumbs down to China. India is spoiled ... The international “adulation” of India makes the country a bit smug in international affairs.”
Comparing the reception of news by both the Indian and Chinese public, the editorial said:
“On Monday, the Missile Technology Control Regime absorbed India as a new member, and denied China’s access. The news didn’t even make a ripple among the Chinese public. The Chinese have become more mature in dealing with these setbacks caused by international relations.”
In a clear message to India, the editorial said:
“India’s nationalists should learn how to behave themselves. Now that they wish their country could be a major power, they should know how major powers play their games.”
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