China, on Thursday, said that growing Indo-US relations would be helpful for regional stability but insisted that the two countries should implement their historic nuclear deal within the framework of global non-proliferation mechanism.

When asked whether China was concerned by the growing Indo-US ties, Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao told reporters, "We do not think like that. We welcome the improvement and development of relations between India and the United States, which would be helpful for regional stability."

On the civilian nuclear deal between the two countries, Liu said China believes that the Indo-US nuclear cooperation should be based on global non-proliferation mechanism.

"Both countries should honour their commitments to non-proliferation. We hope that these cooperation will be helpful for the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty mechanism," the spokesman insisted.

• 'By helping India's economy to grow, we help ours'

China, a member of the 44-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group, had critically questioned US efforts to push through the nuclear deal at a recent meeting of the NSG in Vienna [Images].

China's stand on the Indo-US nuclear agreement could be crucial as there should be 'consensus' within the NSG members to amend its rules to pave the way for the implementation of the deal, analysts said.

Chinese Foreign Ministry sources say that Beijing [Images] is of the view that countries can develop nuclear cooperation for peaceful purposes while conforming to the regulations of the international non-proliferation regime and their own international obligations. 

They also say that such cooperation in the nuclear field should be beneficial to maintaining and strengthening the non-proliferation mechanism.

Complete coverage: The Indo-US nuclear deal