Sushma Swaraj, Chinese FM discuss India's bid for NSG

India has singled out China for obstacles in New Delhi's path, even as Beijing wants bilateral ties to continue

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Saturday discussed the misgivings that have cropped up between the two sides, after India’s failed bid to become a member of the 48-member Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). India has singled out China for having put obstacles in New Delhi’s path, while Beijing has advised its neighbour to neither be downhearted about the development nor allow it to overshadow the bilateral relations of the two countries.

Swaraj and Wang held three-hour long discussions on bilateral issues, including India’s preparations for hosting the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) Summit in Goa later this year.

The Chinese minister also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi for about 20 minutes to brief him about Beijing’s preparations for the G20 Summit that it will be hosting in Hangzhou in the first week of September.

Sources said “the discussions were in a positive, constructive and open spirit. Progress in bilateral ties, as also challenges on some recent issues, was reviewed.” There was a positive assessment of expanding investments, more infrastructure cooperation, easier visas, greater tourism and expanded cultural, academic and civil society interactions.

According to sources, there was a “lengthy discussion on India’s NSG membership” during the luncheon meeting between Swaraj and Wang. The nature of discussions was not made public. However, Swaraj in her statement in Parliament during the just concluded monsoon session had singled out China for having blocked India’s bid to become an NSG member, while Chinese news agency Xinhua had recently put out a report that asked India not to be downhearted about the issue.  It, however, reiterated the Chinese position that non-signatories to the NPT shouldn’t be admitted to the NSG.

Swaraj also outlined importance of meeting India’s clean energy goals in the context of COP-21 (the 2015 Paris Climate Change conference). The two also agreed that the Director Generals of Disarmament of the two countries would meet soon.  

India also took up China’s technical hold on listing of terrorist Masood Azhar in the UN Security Council 1267 Committee. China had blocked India’s move to have Azhar, the chief Jaish-e-Mohammad, declared as a terrorist by the UN. It asked China to revisit its technical hold in line with its own professed zero tolerance towards terrorism.

Swaraj, sources said, also “conveyed India’s concerns on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor’. The two sides also reviewed situation on the border and further steps to strengthen peace and tranquility were discussed. This will include a new mechanism at level of Foreign Secretaries. Sources said that the Chinese did not bring up the India’s position on the South China Sea dispute.

The Chinese foreign minister is on a three day visit to India.