China asserts moral right to oppose ‘smug’ India’s NSG bid

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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a bilateral meeting with the Chinese President Xi Jinping, in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on June 23, 2016. India’s bid for NSG membership was scuttled by China despite backing from many other countries including the US. (PIB Photo )
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a bilateral meeting with the Chinese President Xi Jinping, in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on June 23, 2016. India’s bid for NSG membership was scuttled by China despite backing from many other countries including the US. (PIB Photo )

(TibetanReview.net, Jun30, 2016) – China’s international mouthpiece globaltimes.cn has on Jun 28 condemned the “Indian public opinion” for singling out China for preventing New Delhi from being admitted to the 48-member Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), claiming that at least 10 countries were with it during the group’s plenary meeting in Seoul the week before.

While saying that “the Indian government behaves decently and is willing to communicate” with it on the issue, it was “morally legitimate for China and other members to upset India’s proposal in defense of principles”. This, it said, was because India wanted to be the first exception to join the NSG without signing the NPT (Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty).

It also said India was “spoiled” by “too many thumbs up” from the Western world whose “adulation” had made the country “a bit smug in international affairs” despite its GDP being only 20 percent that of China’s.

Explaining why China was opposed to India joining the NSG, the Op-Ed said the biggest impetus to New Delhi’s ambition for joining it was the USA, which by cozying up to it only wanted to contain China.

Indicating that China too deserved to be heard, the Op-Ed said: “The US is not the whole world. Its endorsement does not mean India has won the backing of the world.” It accused some Indians of being too self-centered and self-righteous, contrary to the conciliatory attitude of their government.

And it suggested that India should learn from China which it said took in its stride the denial to it on Jun 27 of the membership of the hitherto 34-member Missile Technology Control Regime when India did gain access to it, making it the 35th member. “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,” it said.

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