China says 'no change' on India's entry as NSG meets in Bern

China today said there was "no change" in its stand on India's entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) as the elite body governing nuclear trade concludes its annual plenary in Bern, Switzerland suggesting India's bid might not get very far as this year's session.

At last year's plenary in Seoul, Beijing emerged as the most prominent obstacle to India's entry, calling on the group to first agree on a set of criteria for all countries that haven't signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) before taking up India's specific case. Beijing however maintained that several other members had also voiced similar concerns, although Delhi pointedly mentioned that the oppositions of "one country" were the roadblock.

A year on, it appears that not much has changed in China's stand, despite the group holding a consultation in Vienna earlier this year to take forward talks on criteria.

"As for non-NPT countries being admitted to the group, I can tell you there is no change to China's position," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said today. "I want to point out that the NSG has clear rules on expansion and the Seoul plenary made clear mandates on how to deal with this issue. With these rules and mandates, we need to act as they dictate."

"As for the criteria regarding admitting new members," Geng added, "as far as I know this plenary meeting in Switzerland will follow the mandate of the Seoul plenary and uphold the principle of decision upon consensus, and continue to discuss various dimensions like technology, law, legal and political aspects of non-NPT countries admission to the group."

As talks conclude in Bern, Geng's comments suggest India might not make as much headway as it would like, at this year's plenary either.

China has in recent months also indicated that it did not see India as an exceptional case. This is despite the group earlier granting a waiver for India's civilian nuclear deal with the US which required India taking on a range of commitments that effectively fulfill the criteria for membership, at least in the view of Delhi and Washington..

In fact, Beijing has appeared to bracket India's case with Pakistan's, pointing out that "other non-NPT countries" also had aspirations for membership. Chinese nuclear negotiators have also held talks in Islamabad on Pakistan's entry, with the view in Delhi that linking the two was aimed at complicating the issue of India's entry and slowing down India's application for membership, as the prospect of Pakistan's entry remains remote considering its vastly different track record on proliferation. Even as the NSG debates India's entry, the group has appeared to look the other way in the case of China's nuclear exports to Pakistan, where Beijing is currently constructing and managing as many as five nuclear reactors, even though it did not seek a waiver from the grouping as required for doing commerce with non-NPT states.

Delhi believes that membership to the 48-member body that governs nuclear trade is key to ensuring a predictable environment for developing its civilian nuclear energy sector, which India has pointed out will provide a key element of non-fossil fuel energy and will in the long-run be crucial in helping fulfil India's commitments in fighting climate change and fulfilling its contributions under the Paris agreement.

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