TIL Desk/World/Beijing-China today cautiously backed India-Japan nuclear deal signed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Tokyo visit, saying all countries are entitled for peaceful use of nuclear energy if they meet the international non-proliferation obligations. Beijing also reacted mildly to the references to South China Sea in the India-Japan joint statement, reiterating its earlier stand that countries outside the region should respect efforts made by China and other contestants to resolve the dispute.
“With regard to nuclear agreement signed between India and Japan and on the use nuclear energy, we believe that under the promise of absorbing international obligation of nuclear non-proliferation, all countries are entitled to the peaceful use of nuclear energy,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told media briefing here. “At the same time, the relevant cooperation should be conducive to safeguard the authority and effectiveness of the international nuclear non-proliferation regime,” he said.
Contrary to the write-ups in the official media here prior to the recent signing of the civil nuclear deal, Geng made no reference to the media criticism of Japan selling its nuclear technology shedding its past objections. Japan has traditionally adopted a tough stand on proliferation issues having been the only victim of atomic bombings at Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II. India is the first country which has not signed nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) with which Japan has signed the civil nuclear agreement. China opposes India’s entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), citing India’s refusal to sign NPT.
