India has asked China to ensure its entities do not engage in activities that could contribute to "proliferation" following the seizure of an 'autoclave' from a Pakistan-bound Chinese vessel, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday.
"Our authorities had detained a Chinese vessel "Da Cui Yan" when it berthed in Kandla Port in early February, as it had mis-declared the item that is was carrying. Our examination has revealed that the item is an 'autoclave' that is controlled under our Dual-Use Export Control lists," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said during a weekly briefing.
"Therefore the item has been seized by our authorities as per our legal procedure. It has also been ascertained by our examination that this item has military applications. We have conveyed our concerns on this issue to the Chinese side and have highlighted that as a friendly country the Chinese government will take appropriate measures to ensure that the Chinese entities do not engage in activities that can contribute to proliferation," he added.
ANI had reported last month that a team of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) scientists was inspecting equipment which is presumed to be an autoclave machine used for making front section ballistic missiles, on a Karachi-bound merchant vessel at Kandla port in Gujarat.
"From the shape and dimension of the equipment, it is primarily being suspected to be an autoclave machine which is used in aerospace industry especially to make high-performance composites which can be used for making front section ballistic missiles," government sources had said.
"This has raised suspicions of the proliferation of nuclear arms. DRDO has fielded a team of scientists working in its missile and explosive related laboratories," the sources had added.