China takes a U-turn, says will play a constructive role in India's NSG entry

China, which was opposing India’s entry into the elite NSG club, has now said that it will play a "constructive" role in the discussions to bring India on board of the 48-member group. However, it remained stern that this is not something which is on the agenda of the NSG meeting in Seoul.

China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said that NSG members have had three unofficial discussions regarding India and Pakistan’s entry.

"China hopes to discuss further this issue and will play a constructive role in the discussions," she said.

"Although parties are yet to see eye-to-eye on this issue, such discussions help them better understand each other," she said.

However, she maintained that Seoul meeting agenda doesn’t cover this topic. "Deliberation on the entry of specific countries is on the agenda of the Seoul Plenary meeting. However, it is worth noting that the NSG Plenary meeting in Seoul is only to deliberate on the entry of members who signed the NPT," she said.

"As for the entry of non-NPT countries, the group has never put that on its meeting agenda. Based on what we have at hand, the agenda of this year's Seoul Plenary Meeting circulated by the Chair does not include this issue either," she said.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry has not been able to decide its stand on this issue; while it first said that it was not targeting any country such as India or Pakistan, it then objected US backing India's case, saying thatcountries which have not signed the NPT should not be allowed into the NSG.

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