Beijing sets eyes on Saarc membership

Beijing on Thursday sought to allay New Delhi’s concerns over its rise and growing influence in the region.

Chinese President Xi Jinping nudged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to change India’s policy of opposing China’s bid to enter the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) as a full member.

Xi offered China’s support to India’s bid to become a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) – a six-nation bloc floated mainly by Moscow and Beijing as a counterweight to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) ostensibly to restrict the US role in Central Asia.

He also requested Modi to reciprocate the gesture by backing Beijing’s attempt to enter the Saarc – an eight-nation bloc, where India has so far been the largest and most dominant member.

“Many Indian friends take great interest in China’s development and wish China even bigger progress,” Xi said, noting the communist country’s “remarkable economic and social achievements”.

The Chinese president, who is currently on a three-day visit to India, was delivering a keynote address at an event organised by the Indian Council of World Affairs.

“The world has benefited from China's development. However, we have also taken note (of the view) of some that a stronger China is bound to follow the beaten path to seek hegemony and poses so-called threat to other countries,” said Xi. “I wish to make it clear that China will be firmly committed to the path of peaceful development,” he added.

Earlier, addressing the media following his meeting with Modi, Xi said, “China welcomes and supports India’s full membership in the SCO, as it expects India to support China in building relations with SAARC, so that the two countries can work together to contribute our due share to regional stability and development.”

India has since 2005 been an observer of the SCO, which has Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan as its members. Russia has already supported India’s bid to gain full membership of the SCO. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj attended the SCO summit in Tajikistan’s capital Dushanbe on September 12 and noted that New Delhi had already formally sought membership of the bloc.

New Delhi, however, has been wary of allowing Beijing into the Saarc, because China’s entry could add momentum to Pakistan’s bid to eclipse the influence and dominance of India.

Pakistan helped China to enter the Saarc as an observer in 2005. India, on the other hand, helped Japan and Australia to be observers, ostensibly as counterweights to China.

Xi, however, elicited the support of Sri Lanka and Maldives to China’s bid to be a full member of the Saarc during his visits to Colombo and Male earlier this year.