JOIN USChina agrees to discuss NSG bid
Beijing on Saturday agreed to have further discussions with New Delhi on the contentious issue of India’s bid to enter the Nuclear Suppliers Group.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met in New Delhi to ease the strains in bilateral ties. Both sides also agreed to launch a new dialogue mechanism at the foreign secretary-level.
Wang Yi, currently on a visit to Delhi, briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the preparations for the BRICS summit in China.
The Chinese foreign minister’s visit is the first such high-level engagement between the two nations after Beijing stonewalled New Delhi’s bid to enter the NSG during the 48-nation cartel’s annual plenary in Seoul last June.
Sources said Sushma and Wang Yi had not only reviewed progress in bilateral ties, but also discussed “challenges on some recent issues”, including sanctions on Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar.
They had a lengthy discussion on China’s opposition to India’s plea to become a member of the NSG. Sushma conveyed to Wang Yi that India’s “intended nationally determined contribution” to global effort to mitigate climate change would require it to generate 40% power without using fossil fuel by 2030.
New Delhi had a target to raise the installed capacity for nuclear power generation from 5,780 MWe to 63 GWe by 2032. India could do so “only in a predictable global environment” where its membership in the NSG would enable it to take part in the process to formulate rules for international nuclear commerce, a source quoted Sushma as saying.
She also told the Chinese minister that New Delhi was ready to “discuss any technical issue” that Beijing might be concerned about regarding admission of India into the NSG.
They agreed that Joint Secretary (Disarmament and International Security Affairs) in the Ministry of External Affairs Amandeep Singh Gill would meet his counterpart in the Chinese government to sort out the differences over India’s entry into the NSG.
China has been arguing that if the NSG bends its rules to admit India, it should also open its door for Pakistan or any other country that did not sign the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
The NSG in 2008 granted a waiver for New Delhi, allowing its members to enter into nuclear business with India.
Swaraj also conveyed to Wang New Delhi’s concerns over Beijing’s policy of blocking India’s bid to get United Nations’ sanctions imposed on Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar and other terrorist leaders based in Pakistan.
She stressed that China should review its stand in line with its own professed zero tolerance policy towards terrorism, sources said.
New Delhi also reiterated its concern to Beijing over China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which involves building infrastructure in territories under the illegal occupation of Islamabad.
Sources said Swaraj and Wang had also reviewed the situation on the border and discussed about further steps to strengthen peace and tranquillity.