On the other side, China leads resistance to India’s enrolment

CHINA is leading opposition to a push by the US and other major powers for India to join the main club of countries controlling access to sensitive nuclear technology, diplomats said on Thursday as the group discussed India’s membership bid, reports Reuters.

Other countries opposing Indian membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) include New Zealand, Ireland, Turkey, South Africa and Austria, diplomats said.

The 48-nation NSG aims to prevent proliferation of nuclear arms by restricting the sale of items that can be used to make those weapons.

India already enjoys most of the benefits of membership under a 2008 exemption to NS G rules granted to support its nuclear cooperation deal with Washington, even though India has developed atomic weapons and never signed the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT), the main global arms control pact.

Opponents argue that granting it membership would further undermine efforts to prevent proliferation. It would also infuriate India’ s rival Pakistan, which responded to India’ s membership bid with one of its own and has the backing of its close ally China.

“By bringing India on board, it’s a slap in the face of the entire non-proliferation regime,” a diplomatic source from one of a handful of countries resisting India’s push said on condition of anonymity.