A top American diplomat on Wednesday said in a veiled statement that China is the only stumbling block to India's entry into the Nuclear Suppliers' Group. United States Undersecretary for Political Affairs Tom Shannon (pictured left) expressed his "regret" that the US had failed to ensure India's entry into the 48-nation group during the plenary meeting in Seoul last week, Hindustan Times reported. He also reiterated that his country will continue to push for India's membership to the NSG, which monitors and controls the export of materials or technology that can be used to create nuclear weapons.

"We understand that in a consensus-based organisation, one country can break consensus. But in order to do so, it must be [held] accountable, not isolated. We are committed to having India join the NSG," Shannon said during an interactive session at the Foreign Service Institute in Delhi, The Indian Express reported.

China, however, has maintained that India will not be granted NSG membership because of the international body's rules, not because of lack of support from China. All NSG members have to adhere to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty's provisions. India and Pakistan are the two non-NPT countries that have applied for membership to the body.

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During his interaction with Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar, Shannon highlighted that India was a crucial player in the field of nuclear non-proliferation. India's recent entry into the Missile Technology Control Regime was a testimony that the country was a crucial player in the realm of non-proliferation, he added.

The diplomat further said that the US and India will have to work together to curb the rise of China. He showered praise on India, calling it an "anchor of stability" in the Asia-Pacific region, and criticised Chinese activity in the South China Sea. Shannon also urged India to have a strong presence in the Indian Ocean.