Beijing: Facing the blame for single-handedly blocking India’s bid for an entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), China today said “many countries” had expressed their view on the accession of non-NPT countries into the elite club as it harped on the need for forging consensus over the issue.
"As we have learnt, the plenary meeting issued a news release that the meeting held discussions on technical legal and political issues regarding the accession of non-NPT members and agreed to continue with such discussions," said Hong Lei, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman in a media briefing.
On India blaming “one country” of stopping new members to enter the Nuclear Suppliers Group, Hong said at the plenary meeting in Seoul "many countries had expressed their views on the accession of non-NPT countries into the group."
"We believe that they should forge a consensus and then make a decision based on consultations and thorough discussions regarding the entry of the specific country," he said in an indirect reference to India.
The spokesman also responded to the reports about the appointment of Argentine Ambassador Rafael Grossi as the "facilitator" for informal consultations on India's admission into NSG. "We have never heard of any follow up steps," he said.
However, he stayed light lipped on the reports of another NSG meet later this year.
"This is what we know about this plenary meeting. I also want to point out that for quite a long time, including in plenary in Seoul, China has been prompting the NSG to have thorough discussions on accession of non-NPT countries," Hong said.
India and Pakistan, who applied for membership of the 48-member NSG, have not signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) which China insists is a must for joining the grouping.
China was unrelenting in thwarting India's NSG bid last week despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging Chinese President Xi Jinping during a meeting in Tashkent on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit to support India's case on its merits.
An upset India later accused "one country", a clear reference to China, of persistently creating procedural hurdles during the discussions on its application.
