Friends should persuade China on India’s entry into NSG

New Delhi, June 5 (IANS) India on Monday said countries friendly to China, including Russia, should persuade it to ensure New Delhi's entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and for permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj told a media conference here that India was opposed to the "One Belt, One Road" project on the issue of sovereignty because the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor passed through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

India is also engaging with China which has maintained that its stand on entry into NSG was not "India-specific" but on the ground of signing the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

"China always says that its opposition to membership of NSG is not India-specific but on grounds of being Non-NPT member. We have made our stand clear on this issue. They said India and Pakistan do not come under the category of NPT members. France was also a Non-NPT country when it was allowed into NSG.

"The question of India and Pakistan has been separated. In 2008, India got the rights (waiver). Both our criteria and credentials were checked and 101 per cent we have proved it. Look at the credentials, not at the criteria."

Swaraj said India has engaged China for long.

"Our friends who support our entry into NSG have been engaging China. Those who are friends of China should also engage China to ensure India's membership of NSG and UNSC," she said.

Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi'a visit to Russia last week, Swaraj said Russia supported India's membership of NSG and UNSC and India would like Moscow to persuade Beijing on the issue and not pressurise it.

To a question, the minister said none of India's policies towards China was aimed at countering it.

She said India in principle accepted connectivity. "There is no problem with this but when it comes to question of compromising with territorial integrity, then we are certainly opposed to it."

Swaraj said the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which is part of OBOR, "passes through that part of occupied Kashmir which is an integral part of India and over which there is a parliamentary resolution. That part of the road compromises our sovereignty and we are strongly opposed to it."