By Chris Buckley
BEIJING (Reuters) - China's top newspaper called a nuclearagreement between India and the United States a "major blow" tonon-proliferation, raising pressure as the deal facesopposition in an international atomic cartel.
The commentary on Monday in the People's Daily, the rulingChinese Communist Party's official paper, was a rare publicresponse from Beijing on the controversial U.S. proposal tolift a ban on nuclear trade with India.
Diplomats in Vienna said on Sunday that a revised U.S.proposal to lift the ban did not sufficiently ease fears themove could compromise efforts to stop the spread of nuclearweapons.
Washington needs an unprecedented exemption from theNuclear Suppiers Group's normal rules to help seal its 2005civilian nuclear energy deal with New Delhi. But at the group'smeeting, six member nations demanded changes to ensure Indianaccess to nuclear markets would not indirectly help its atomicbomb programme.
Chinese officials have remained tight-lipped about the dealand given no sign they would outright block it, but officialmedia and experts have raised worries.
The Party's official paper was unusually forthright onMonday.
"Whether it is motivated by geopolitical considerations orcommercial interests, the U.S.-India nuclear agreement hasconstituted a major blow to the international non-proliferationregime," said the commentary by a researcher from the ChineseAcademy of Social Sciences, a leading state think tank.
"Irrespective of the fate of the U.S.-India nuclearagreement, the United States' multiple standards onnon-proliferation issues have met with a sceptical world."
Without NSG approval in early September, the U.S. Congressmay run out of time for final ratification before it adjournsat the end of the month for autumn elections.
The deal is controversial since India has shunned theNon-Proliferation Treaty, which commits members to nucleardisarmament, after developing atom bombs with Westerntechnology imported ostensibly for peaceful nuclear energy.
Experts have said China is unlikely to stymie the nucleardeal and risk pushing Delhi closer to Washington when Beijingis seeking to avoid confrontation with its rising Asianneighbour.
But many have also said that Beijing worries about how thedeal will affect regional security and arms controls.
China and India, the world's two most populous nations, areforging new ties amid soaring trade and business links, thoughserious differences over their Himalayan border, the cause of a1962 war, fester.
India and rival Pakistan both tested nuclear devices in1998, raising tensions between the neighbours. Pakistan is aclose partner of China.
China was not among the six nations that raised objectionsin the NSG meeting, but the commentary was a reminder thatBeijing was irked by the nuclear agreement.
The United States' initial proposal to the NSG was "vague"and "left the concerned papers very dissatisfied", thenewspaper said.
"As there is no constraining link between supply of nuclearmaterials and India conducting a nuclear test," it added."India need not assume strict non-proliferationresponsibilities."
(Editing by Nick Macfie)
