Nuke move on India may prove conducive

By Li Xiang and Qin Jize (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-09-09 07:03

China hopes the waiver of nuclear trade ban against India would be conducive to global cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy and non-proliferation.

"China has always advocated that all countries are entitled to the peaceful use of nuclear energy," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said Monday.

"But, at the same time, international cooperation should help maintain the integrity and validity of the global nuclear non-proliferation regime," she said.

The Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), the regulatory body on global nuclear technology trade, lifted a 34-year-old ban on India on Saturday. The move is seen as giving the green light to a nuclear deal between New Delhi and Washington.

India had been denied access to civilian nuclear technology after it conducted a nuclear test in 1974. But it has not yet signed the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) despite pledging to abide by the NPT principle.

According to a US-Indian agreement signed in March 2006, India will get access to US civil nuclear technology on condition that it separates nuclear facilities for civilian and military uses and opens its nuclear facilities for inspection.

The impact of lifting the nuclear ban on India would depend on New Delhi's behavior, Chinese analysts said.

"If India abides by NPT rules, the waiver will bear positive results," said Fu Xiaoqiang, senior researcher with the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations.

Responding to some people's concern over the US-India nuclear deal, which they see as a way to contain China, Fu said New Delhi's primary purpose is to ensure its domestic energy interests, not to counterbalance China.

"As a country that has a tradition of a non-aligned foreign policy, India will not be willing to act as a US ally to contain China," he said. "And it is fully aware that a peaceful relationship with China is in mutual interest."

Shen Dingli, director of Fudan University's American Studies Center, said steps should be taken to update some of the NPT regulations.

"For example, the international community should have regulations on nuclear exports and tighten inspection on non-NSG members for civilian use of nuclear energy," he said.