China on Monday hit back at the United States for signalling out the communist giant in blocking India's membership bid to join the Nuclear Supplier Group (NSG) last year. It accused that the outgoing Obama administration is treating NSG membership as a "parting gift" for New Delhi.

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"I just want to point out that NSG membership shall not some kind of (a) farewell gift for countries to give to each other," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told a press briefing.

Hua refused to reiterate China's official stance on India's NSG bid, saying that Beijing has already made its position clear on non-NPT members wanting to join the elite nuclear group.  

Last year, ahead of the NSG's crucial meeting in Seoul, Beijing had categorically stated time and again that it will vote in New Delhi's favor only if it signs the non-proliferation treaty (NPT), which is an international agreement that aims to discourage the spread of nuclear weapons technology across the world.             

Obama's Diplomat Rakes up NSG Controversy

The latest NSG controversy started after Obama's top diplomat on Sunday solely blamed China for blocking India's membership bid to join the 48-member nuclear group. Nisha Biswal, who looks into South and Central affairs, summed up Beijing's hindering effort by using the critical word "outlier."

"Clearly there is one outlier that needs to be addressed and that is China," Biswal said to an Indian news agency.         

The timing of Biswal's comment is very critical, as it comes barely week before Donald Trump's official coronation on Jan. 20.     

Biswal did not name Trump during the interview but specifically said that the new administration now has the responsibility to address China's reservation on India's NSG application.

Meanwhile, China on Monday also took exception to India's repeated criticism on Masood Azhar issue, citing lack of evidence for put technical hold on India's application in UN to blacklist the Pakistani terrorist.

"The (UN's) 1267 Committee needs to base its decision on solid evidence, follow relevant resolutions and rules of procedure and make a decision based on consensus," Hua said.

The nuclear supplier group and Masood Azhar issues have apparently become very thorny issues in the India-China bilateral relationship. New Delhi constantly accuses Beijing that it is meddling in these two issues on the behest of Pakistan, whom India considers its arch-rival.    

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