New Delhi: India may soon evaluate its options vis-a-vis China in the wake of Friday’s failed bid to secure membership of the Nuclear Suppliers' Group (NSG), with indications that it may not be business as usual anymore with its giant eastern neighbour.
Questions are also being raised domestically on the wisdom of India following an “immediacy” policy at Seoul which essentially meant that India went all-out in its bid, knowing fully well that China was opposed tooth and nail to Indian entry but hoping that the Chinese would crumble under the American and French pressure.
But the Chinese leadership — which is furious with India for cosying up to the United States and carrying out joint exercises with the Americans and Japanese navies in the Asia-pacific not to mention close strategic ties with the Vietnamese — was in no mood to oblige New Delhi despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi making a last-ditch effort to persuade Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Knowing fully well that the Chinese were unrelenting in their move to scuttle India’s chances, New Delhi raised the pitch resulting in an embarrassment at Seoul.
Foreign diplomatic sources point out that China will never agree to India’s entry since it fears the global rise of another Asian rival. This means that India’s NSG dream may well be over and that New Delhi will have to explore alternative strategies such as focusing on bilateral civil nuclear agreements.
India has been extremely wary so far of offending the Chinese. But observers point out that this has to change at some level.
New Delhi has to further strengthen strategic ties with Vietnam and also boost trade ties with Taiwan besides exerting its right more often of freedom of navigation in international waters in the South China Sea.
