NSG MEMBERSHIP CAN’T BE OBAMA’S FAREWELL GIFT: CHINA
No change in Beijing’s position on Masood Azhar ban either
NEW DELHI: Membership to the exclusive Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) is not a “farewell gift” for the outgoing US administration to hand out to India, China said on Monday in an acerbic reaction to an Washington official blaming Beijing for blocking New Delhi’s entry to the bloc that controls nuclear trade.
China’s strong comments indicated that the country wasn’t ready to budge anytime soon from its position on opposing New Delhi’s application.
“Regarding the India’s application to the NSG, regarding non-NPT countries admission to the NSG we have made our position clear before so I will not repeat it. (I) just want to point out that NSG membership shall not be some kind of farewell gift for countries to give to each other,” Hua Chunying, foreign ministry spokesperson, said on Monday at the regular press briefing. The outgoing dispensation in the US doesn’t, quite clearly, see it that way.
“Clearly there is one outlier that needs to be addressed and that is China,” Nisha Desai Biswal, assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asia said in an interview on Sunday, barely a week before end of President Barack Obama’s tenure. By terming China, the “outlier” Biswal spelt out that China was the only country which differed from other NSG members about India’s inclusion.
“The (US) President (Barack Obama) has been very clear and unequivocal that he believes that India has met the criteria for NSG and that the US supports India’s entry that India is ready and India should be brought into the NSG,” she said.
China has reiterated its position before.
“…China supports the notion of two-step approach within the Group to address the above question, i.e., at the first stage, to explore and reach agreement on a non-discriminatory formula applicable to all the non-NPT states, and to proceed to take up country-specific membership issues at the second stage,” a statement from Beijing issued on September 13 said.
If the issue of inclusion in the NSG was one issue that plagued Sino-India relations in 2016, the other was that of China twice blocking India’s efforts to get Pakistan-based Masood Azhar listed as a terrorist in the UN.
“As we have explained our position before on this question, the 1267 committee needs to base their decision on solid evidence and follow relevant resolutions and rules of procedure and make a decision based on consensus. The technical hold China proposed is to allow more time for consultation and deliberation,” Hua said. SHIPS TO PAKISTAN
Hua denied reports that China had donated two battle ships to Pakistan for guarding the Gwadar port and insisted that they were bought by the latter.
“I have learnt that some reports said China has donated these vessels. This is not correct. The report mentioned surveillance ships. It is normal military trade cooperation between the two countries and complies with the international commitments of the two countries. So, I want clarify that it is not a donation, it is military trade cooperation; the Pakistani side bought these two ships from China.
As we have explained our position before on this question, the 1267 committee needs to base their decision on solid evidence and follow relevant rules of procedure and make a decision based on consensus... HUA CHUNYING, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, speaking about the technical hold on Masood Azhar being designated as a terrorist in the UN