China not budging on India’s NSG bid and identifying Masood Azhar as ultra

NEW DELHI: Beijing has said its stand on backing India for an NSG membership and getting Jaish-e-Muhammad chief Masood Azhar designated as terrorist by the UN remained unchanged, indicating lack of success in India’s diplomatic efforts.

“As for India’s application for Nuclear Suppliers Group and listing issue pursuant to resolution of 1267 (to list Masood as terrorist), China’s position remains unchanged,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a media briefing in Beijing. China’s second ‘technical hold’ in the UN on banning Azhar is due to expire by the end of this month.

Geng’s remarks came in answer to a question on Foreign S e c r e t a r y S Jaishankar’s remarks at an Sino-Indian forum here last Friday.

“In India’s case, predictable access to civilian nuclear energy technology is key. The broad basing of the nuclear technology control group is also helpful to a more representative international order.

Keeping in mind this solidarity of major developing states, it is important that China views this as a developmental aspiration and not give it a political colouring,” Jaishankar had said.

He had also expressed frustration over the two countries not being able to come together on the issue of “fundamentalist terrorism” at critical international fora, a reference to China blocking India’s bid to get Azhar banned by the UN. On Jaishankar’s remarks that China should respect each other’s legitimate aspirations, Geng said that as major developing countries the two countries need not see eye to eye on every issue.