The United States and China on Saturday supported and opposed, respectively, India's membership to the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).
Reacting to the Chinese official response that India has not signed the non-proliferation treaty (NPT), the U.S said the country, however, meets the missile control regime's requirements and is ready for NSG membership, reported ANI.
China highlighted that NPT was the linchpin of safety against the proliferation of nuclear regimes and weapons in the world. Calling it as the consensus amongst the international community for long, it argued that India recognises this consensus well. It added that many of the NSG members considered signing of the NPT an "important" protocol for further expansion of the NSG, reported the Press Trust of India.
On a question of Pakistan being proposed as a member of NSG by China, in the context of India's admission, the U.S State Department spokesman, John Kirby, told reporters that deliberation about the prospects of new members to be included into the NSG was an internal matter among its current members.
The 48-nation bloc is concerned with reducing nuclear proliferation by controlling the export and re-transfer of materials that may be applicable to nuclear weapon development. It also wants to improve safeguards and protection on existing materials.
The NSG first met in Nov 1975 in response to India's nuclear test in May 1974. The test had demonstrated that certain non-weapons specific nuclear technology could be readily turned to weapons development.
In September 2008, backed by intense U.S. diplomacy, the NSG member countries granted a "clean waiver" to India, and allowed for trading nuclear technology with the country despite its non acceptance of NPT.
Aside India, Pakistan, Israel and South Sudan are the other three United Nations member states, which have not signed the NPT, said PTI.
