Prez recalls India's support to China in UN in past

Pranab nudges Beijing to end objection over NSG berth

Subtly nudging Beijing to stop opposing New Delhi’s bid for seats in international high tables, President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday reminded China the support India once provided to the communist country to get into the United Nations.

Mukherjee used a speech at the Peking University here to note that although bilateral relations between Delhi and Beijing had been tested by “difficulties and challenges” in the last seven decades, the determination of people of India to safeguard their friendship with the people of China had “visibly endured”.

“It was demonstrated in India’s early recognition of the People’s Republic of China in December 1949 (after it was born out of Chinese Civil War), the establishment of our diplomatic relations in April 1950 and India’s constant public support through the 1960s and 1970s for the admission of the People’s Republic of China to the UN and the restitution of its permanent membership of the UN Security Council,” said the President.

He did not overtly call upon China to reciprocate to the support provided to it by India in the past. His comments, however, appeared to be a subtle nudge to China to stop opposing India’s bids to get berths in the international high tables.

The President is currently on a tour to China. His four-day visit to Guangzhou and Beijing comes at a time when China has stepped up its campaign to oppose India’s bid for membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group.

China has also been tacitly opposing India’s quest for a seat in the United Nations Security Council. Mukherjee also recalled on Tuesday how India had insisted on admitting China in the World Trade Organization in the early years of the body set up to control international commerce.

In his speech at the Peking University on Thursday, Mukherjee acknowledged that India-China bilateral relations were fraught with challenges. He cited the instance of the boundary dispute and noted that it was yet to be addressed comprehensively by the two neighbours.

“While it is natural for neighbours to have a difference of views on certain issues from time to time, I consider it a test of our political acumen when we are called upon to draw upon our civilizational wisdom and resolve these differences to the mutual satisfaction of both sides,” said the President. He stressed on both sides working towards ensuring that coming generations in India and China were not burdened by unresolved problems and differences to them.