New Delhi: The Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) is expected to take up India's application for membership at its plenary meeting in South Korean capital Seoul on June 24 after deliberations at a preliminary meeting in Vienna on the same remained inconclusive Friday.
While the United States made a strong push for India’s membership bid and most NSG members lent support to it, however, the opposition from China delayed any decision on the same.
China has been opposing India's membership bid saying the elite nuclear club should not alter criteria for specific applicants.
The 48-member Nuclear Suppliers Group controls access to sensitive nuclear technology.
Meanwhile, India is hopeful that China will change its position when its application is again taken up at the plenary meeting in Seoul.
This view was boosted by the fact that several other member countries, which had been opposing India's membership bid, softened their stand in Vienna and indicated their readiness for a compromise.
A report in the Hindustan Times quoted sources as saying that India does not consider China as a roadblock to its entry into the NSG and believes Beijing will come around to supporting its membership bid.
The Times of India Saturday said New Delhi is refraining from openly criticising China over its opposition to India's membership bid, as it believes demonising Beijing would have a negative effect.
In fact, Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in Tashkent on June 23-24 ahead of the NSG plenary.
India is all set to become a member of the SCO after the grouping approved its membership last year.
China has maintained its position that countries like India who are non-signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) should not be made members of the NSG. And, if the criteria is relaxed for India, then the same should be done for Pakistan, which is Beijing's close ally.
During his recently-concluded five-nation tour, PM Modi had secured the backing of the US, Switzerland and Mexico for India’s entry into the NSG.
