China welcomes NSG waiver

Says its role ‘constructive’ in NSG meetings

Under criticism from India on the nuclear waiver, China today appeared to fend off all attack, saying its role in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) was “constructive”.

“China has been taking part in relevant meetings within the NSG in a responsible and constructive manner,” the Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement today that coincides with the visit of Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi to New Delhi for discussions with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

The statement, which welcomed the NSG granting a waiver to India to engage in nuclear commerce, said on September 6 the NSG discussed nuclear cooperation with India and issued a statement on the basis of negotiated consensus, deciding to lift nuclear trade ban on the country.

China, which had earlier given to India signals of positive cooperation in the NSG, came out openly with reservations at the Vienna NSG meet last week, joining some 'hold-out' countries virtually threatening to stall the move for the waiver to New Delhi.

The Chinese ambassador in Delhi was reportedly summoned to the foreign office in the wee hours of Saturday to convey the Indian government's unhappiness over Beijing's role.

In today's statement, China welcomed the NSG granting a waiver but hoped this cooperation should be "conducive" to safeguarding the global nuclear non-proliferation efforts.

Meanwhile, India today conveyed to Chinese foreign minister its unhappiness over the latter's move to block the NSG waiver. The Indian sentiments were conveyed by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee during his talks with his Chinese counterpart Yang Jeichi in New Delhi.

Sources said the Indian side raised the issue of the role played by China at the NSG meeting.

The Indian side said it was disappointed over China raising questions over grant of waiver to India particularly when the Chinese government had assured it at the highest levels that it would not be a “part of the problem” in the NSG meeting, the sources said.

Yang, on his part, said China did nothing to block the waiver and played a “constructive role” at the Vienna meeting.