Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 20India today gave a firm rebuttal to China on linking signing of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) to membership of the elite Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and took exception to its increased investment in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.Countering the Chinese argument, India cited the example of France, which was admitted to the NSG without first having signed the NPT. “I think there is some confusion here. Even the NPT allows civil nuclear cooperation with non-NPT countries. If there is a connection, it is between the NSG and IAEA safeguards and with export controls,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup said today in a media interaction.“NSG members have to respect safeguards and export controls, nuclear supplies have to be in accordance with the NSG guidelines. The NSG is an ad-hoc export control regime and France, which was not an NPT member for some time, was a member of the NSG since it respected NSG’s objectives,” Swarup added.China has objected to India’s NSG membership on the grounds that isn’t the NPT signatory. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang had said all the multilateral non-proliferation export control regime, including the NSG have regarded NPT as an important standard for the expansion of the NSG.Chinese stand has irked India and it is one of the topics that will also be raised by President Pranab Mukherjee who is travelling to China next week.India also slammed China for its increased investments in the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. “Chinese activities in PoK have been taken up with the Chinese side, including at the highest level. Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India… we have asked them to cease all activities (there),” Swarup said.