ABSTRACT

In 1961 to 1974, Non-Alignment engaged with nuclear arms limitation debates, the rise of the Peoples Republic of China and the Arab-Israeli conflict. Despite its strenuous attempt to address problems of decolonisation and economic development, nuclear weapons dominated the Belgrade conference from the very beginning. In the first two days of the Belgrade conference, one speaker after another either demanded that the superpowers start nuclear negotiations or expressed dismay over Khrushchev's announcement. The Chinese government was particularly pleased with the positive echo from the Afro-Asian countries which lauded that one of them had finally broken the barrier to the nuclear club consisting of advanced, white nations. Following China's first successful a-bomb test, Shastri approved policies that opened up the path towards nuclear weapons. Moreover, India's and Egypt's wobbliness on the issue for reasons related to their struggle against China and Israel, respectively did not help to keep Non-Aligned activism against anti-nuclear armament on a high moral level.