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India and the NSG- Why the fuss?

July 1, 2016
Posted by: Team Clat Possible
Category: General Knowledge

Much has been reported and said over the past few weeks about India vying for membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and how China was the main entity blocking its entry to the coveted group. Before we analyze India’s tryst with the NSG, let us understand what the NSG is.

The NSG is a multinational body that is concerned with curbing nuclear proliferation by controlling the export and re-transfer of materials that may be applicable to nuclear weapon development and by improving safeguards and protection of existing materials. It was founded in response to the Indian nuclear test in May, 1974 and it has 48 members now.

India is trying to become a member of the bloc however, the group works on the principle of unanimity and China announced that it would oppose India’s bid to join the NSG since India was not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). As a matter of fact, 4 UN member states have never joined the NPT: India, Israel, Pakistan and South Sudan.

The NPT is an international treaty whose aim is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, to promote cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and to further the goal of achieving nuclear disarmament and general and complete disarmament.

Currently, 189 countries are signatories to the NPT. The NPT recognizes 5 states as nuclear-weapon states: the United States, Russia, the UK, France and China. These are countries which have tested their nuclear weapons before 1968. With this criteria in mind, India cannot sign the NPT even if it wants to because it will not be granted “nuclear weapon state” status. Many critics even say that the NPT is a passé agreement and cannot be considered as a mandatory criterion for membership of the NSG.

While India has been trying hard to negotiate with China as well as gather support for its NSG bid from other countries, experts suggest that the NSG membership is not a make-or-break situation for India because India already has agreements with various countries for exchange of nuclear technology and resources, and becoming a member of the NSG will not substantially alter the status quo.

Furthermore, India recently gained entry into the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), an informal and voluntary partnership among countries to prevent the proliferation of missile and unmanned aerial vehicle technology capable of carrying a 500 kg. payload for at least 300 km.

Notably, China, Pakistan and North Korea are not members of the MTCR. This might be India’s opportunity to oppose China’s entry to the group. As far as China’s reasons for blocking India’s NSG bid are concerned, they seem to be advancing ‘technicalities’ prima facie but it seems like they are attempts at confining India to the South Asian region and to maintain a hyphenated treatment of India and Pakistan, the latter being described as China’s ‘all-weather’ ally frequently. The days to come will show how much of a success backdoor diplomacy will prove to be for India and China or is it just a ticking (nuclear) bomb as far as their relations go…