In an interview with Sputnik, economics expert Wang Zhimin noted to China's constructive approach to India's bid for the NSG, which was announced on May 12, 2016.
He said that China insists that only those countries which inked the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, of which India is not a member, can enter the NSG, currently comprised of 48 countries.
The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, commonly known as the Non-Proliferation Treaty or NPT, was signed in 1968 and entered into force in 1970.
"China's stance is that if India joins the NSG, Pakistan should follow suit because the India-Pakistan ties are of importance to maintaining strategic balance in South Asia," Wang Zhimin said.
He warned against possible tensions over the matter, which he said are fraught with far-reaching consequences for the region and the entire world.
Zhimin quoted the Chinese Foreign Ministry as saying that the issue should be resolved at the negotiating table and that the focus should be placed on "the whole structure of Sino-Indian relations."
Speaking to Sputnik, Peter Topychkanov of the Moscow-based Institute of World Economy and International Relations, for his part, remained cautiously optimistic about India's NSG membership.
"On the one hand, China signals its readiness to discuss the issue, but it's unclear whether Beijing will ultimately support India's decision to join the NSG. China's position on the matter is expected to be clarified next year," he said.
According to Topychkanov, China is not interested in New Delhi scrapping all restrictions because India is regarded as a country which has not signed the NPT but possesses nuclear weapons.
In other words, he said, China, of course, wants India to be pressurized within the framework of the nuclear non-proliferation network.
China knows full well that India is poised and ready to become both an importer and exporter of nuclear materials and technology, according to Topychkanov.
"This means that China will try to contain India's push for joining the NSG because Beijing sees New Delhi as a competitor in the world market for nuclear services," he concluded.
