India’s NSG Membership Will Touch a Raw Nerve in Pakistan: China

While a majority of NSG members support India’s bid, China cited regional security as its reason for opposition.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif (L) shakes hands with China’s President Xi Jinping. (Photo: Reuters)

State-run Global Times on Tuesday ran an op-ed commentary titled “India mustn’t let nuclear ambitions blind itself”.

In the sharply worded op-ed, Chinese official media said that New Delhi’s NSG membership bid ignores concerns for regional security, and will ultimately set off a nuclear confrontation in the region as it touches a “raw nerve” in Pakistan, while also saying that it “jeopardises” Beijing’s national interests.

As Pakistan is not willing to see an enlarging gap in nuclear power with India, a nuclear race is a likely outcome. This will not only paralyse regional security, but also jeopardise China’s national interests.

Also read: For NSG Membership, Pak’s Credentials Stronger Than India’s: Aziz

While the majority of the NSG members support India’s inclusion, China, along with a handful of other countries, is opposed to India’s admission as it is not signatory to the contentious NPT.

Beijing insists that a prerequisite of New Delhi’s entry is that it must be a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) which India is not. Despite acknowledging this legal and systematic requirement, the Indian media called China’s stance “obstructionist”. 

Excerpt from the op-ed

The commentary expressed strong opinions on the United States lobbying for India’s bid. The op-ed claimed that beyond cooperation in the nuclear sector, the United States views India as balancing actor in its ‘pivot to Asia’ strategy.

It went on to say that its supply of nuclear technology to India is aimed at increasing New Delhi’s deterrence capability so that it can act as a counterweight to China’s might.

Also read: Countering China, Pakistan, US Says India Ready to Join NSG

Taking the moral high ground, Chinese official media put the blame squarely on India and US, claiming that the two countries are ignoring concerns for regional security as they close their eyes to the harsh reality of the region. It said: 

China insists on peaceful development. A peaceful regional and global environment is in the interests of all stakeholders. China’s concern about India’s inclusion into the NSG comes out of the security dynamic in South Asia.

Also read: India’s NSG Membership Is Not About Arms: US Tells Pakistan