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Business News/ Politics / Policy/  Analysts sceptical on China’s flexibility on India’s NSG bid
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Analysts sceptical on China’s flexibility on India’s NSG bid

There is need to build consensus over admission of new members in the 48-member NSG, says China's vice-foreign minister Li Baodong ahead of BRICS summit in Goa

A file photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi (R) and China’s president Xi Jinping wave before their meeting in Ahmedabad. Photo: ReutersPremium
A file photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi (R) and China’s president Xi Jinping wave before their meeting in Ahmedabad. Photo: Reuters

New Delhi: China has said that it is “ready" for talks with India on New Delhi’s entry into the elite Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), ahead of a key meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese president Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa or BRICS meeting in Goa over the weekend.

This comes even as Beijing indicated it would not budge on its position of extending a hold on New Delhi’s bid for a UN ban on Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar, the Indian Express and other newspapers reported on Tuesday.

China’s vice-foreign minister Li Baodong, speaking to reporters in Beijing on Monday on Xi’s India visit, said this was due to China being opposed to anyone making “political gains in the name of counter-terrorism," the news reports said.

Earlier in June, Modi had urged Xi to consider India’s NSG case favourably, but China rebuffed India’s request at the NSG plenary in Seoul, on the basis that India was not a signatory to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty or NPT.

Also Read: China continues to block India’s bid for Masood Azhar’s UN terror listing

According to the Indian Express report, though Beijing’s tone on India’s NSG membership of countries trading in nuclear technology and hardware, is seen as conciliatory, there has been no visible progress on India’s entry into the export control regime. There were discussions between India and China last month on the subject but no breakthrough. The talks are to continue in October, but no official announcement of that meeting has been made so far. China’s vice-foreign minister Li in Bejing on Monday said there was need to build consensus over admission of new members in the 48-member NSG.

“These rules are not to be decided by China alone. On the issue, China and India have maintained good communication and we are ready to continue consultations with India to build consensus and we also hope India can go to other members of the NSG as well," Li said.

“In this aspect, we are also ready for discussions with India to explore possibilities but things need to be in keeping with procedures, norms and regulations of the NSG. On this issue, China’s position is consistent. That is why China has often said international law must be observed," Li said.

On China’s move to block India’s bid for a UN ban on Masood Azhar, Li said, “China is opposed to all forms of terrorism. There should be no double standards on counter-terrorism. Nor should one pursue own political gains in the name of counter-terrorism."

Also Read: NSG membership: India, China hold ‘pragmatic’ talks

His remarks were seen as a oblique reference to India which has accused Pakistan of turning a blind eye towards the Jaish chief, accused of planning the Parliament House attack in 2001 and, more recently, the attack on the Pathankot airbase.

China had announced extension of its “technical hold" on India’s bid to get Azhar designated as a terrorist by the UN on October 1, days before it was to run out. The hold can continue for up to three more months. The hold on Azhar’s ban is another irritant between India and China as New Delhi views this as something done at Pakistan’s behest. China and Pakistan have deemed themselves “all weather allies" something India is wary of.

Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa make BRICS while BIMSTEC or the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation comprises Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal. Summits of leaders of the two groups are to be held in Goa over the weekend.

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Published: 11 Oct 2016, 10:39 AM IST
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