China remains major obstacle in India's membership bid for NSG

SEOUL (92 News) – China remained the last major obstacle in the way of India's membership bid as several countries including New Zealand, Turkey and Australia opposed India’s bid to enter an elite nuclear trading club. The Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) was unable to arrive at a consensus in the South Korean capital during a late-night session, hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged Chinese President Xi Jinping to contribute to the “emerging consensus” in Seoul. At least seven countries including China, Brazil, Switzerland, Turkey, Austria, Ireland and New Zealand have raised questions, mostly pertaining to the entry of non-NPT countries into the elite club. The session debated until midnight but failed to come to a conclusion, with China adamant in its opposition. China raised a procedural block early in the day, refusing to admit the India membership issue to be discussed in the meeting. The discussions will continue on Friday (today). Some of these countries have conveyed to the Indian side that they need to consult their governments before arriving at a final decision.