Caution needs to be exercised on India's NSG inclusion: China

Beijing: China on Monday extended conditional support for India's Nuclear Suppliers Group membership bid but said "prudence and caution" needs to be exercised on the issue, a day after US President Barack Obama backed India's inclusion into the elite 48-member body.

 "We believe that such (an) inclusion should be conducive to the integrity and effectiveness of the regime and decision should be made on consensus. We notice India's commitment to relevant issues," Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying said at a media briefing.

 "We support the group to include new members and we support India to take further measures to meet the requirements for the inclusion in the group," she said.

 In an effort to strengthen global non-proliferation and export control regimes, India and the US yesterday committed to continue to work towards India's phased entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), the Wassenaar Arrangement and the Australia Group.

 This was stated in the joint statement after President Obama and Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks in New Delhi.

 Besides clearing the obstacles for the implementation of the Indo-US civil nuclear deal, President Obama reaffirmed the US' position that India meets MTCR requirements, India is ready for NSG membership and that it supports India's early application and eventual membership in all four regimes.

 Asked whether China wants to back any other country's entry into NSG, a key body that controls the international civil nuclear trade regime, Hua said, "as for the expansion of the group, the members should make the decision on consensus after thorough discussions. India's inclusion into this group is an internal matter of the group. It needs prudence and caution and thorough discussions among all members."

 "We support such discussion and we also support India's inclusion into this group if it meets all the requirements," she said.