Vice President of the China Institute of International Studies, Ruan Zongze, has said the US’ double standards on the nuclear issue between India and Pakistan would be a challenge to upholding the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, or NPT.
The US Congress passed a bill on Saturday that allows the United States to provide civilian nuclear fuel and technology to India.
Ruan Zongze says that the US-India Nuclear Deal boosts American-Indian relations.
"The US seeks a new strategic relationship with India, a rising power, to keep up with the power changes now occurring in the world. Furthermore, with this nuclear deal with India, the US is trying to give more influence to South Asia."
Although the US Congress has passed the bill, the legislation does include some restraints, since it is in direct opposition to the Non-proliferation Treaty.
As Washington seeks to sell nuclear technology to India, which never signed the NPT, it is also working to halt the nuclear program of Iran, which did sign the NPT.
Ruan Zongze believes that the different attitudes reflect the changes in the US' take on the Non-proliferation Treaty.
"We feel more worried that this Nuclear Deal will largely challenge and destroy the NPT. The US' attitude regarding nuclear weapons has changed, and this change will destroy the NPT."
He says in the past, the US has expressed the belief that no matter who is in possession of a nuclear weapon, it poses a danger to the world. However, this stance has now changed to viewing nuclear weapons as only dangerous when held by non-democratic countries; in other words, nuclear weapon are safe in the hands of democracy.
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