NSG bid: India rebuts China, claims membership on non-proliferation record rather than farewell gift

MEA official spokesperson Vikas Swarup on Thursday said that “India is not seeking NSG membership as a gift, we are seeking it based on our non-proliferation record”.

The statement comes after two days when China had said that admission of non-NPT signatories in NSG cannot be a farewell gift for countries to give to each other.

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying had made a statement out to media briefing on Monday, “Regarding India’s application to the NSG, regarding non-NPT countries admission to the NSG, we have made our position clear before so I will not repeat it. I just want to point out that NSG membership shall not be some kind of (a) farewell gift for countries to give to each other.”

China has been blocking India's NSG membership bid despite backing from majority members on the grounds that India is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT).

With PTI Inputs