New Delhi, September 8
Amid simmering tension in Sino-Indian relations, India is understood to have conveyed to China its disappointment over Beijing’s attempt to stonewall a consensus at the NSG meeting in Vienna to consider the India specific waiver from September 4-6.
So much is the anger in the South Block against China that some officials argued that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh might cancel his visit to Beijing in October-end for the Asia Europe meeting (ASEM) as a mark of protest.
According to official sources, New Delhi’s displeasure was communicated to visiting Chinese foreign minister Yang Jiechi by both the Prime Minister and external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee during bilateral meetings here.
The Chinese foreign minister was told that Beijing’s attitude at the NSG meeting had not gone down well with the Indian leadership and the people of this country as it came at a time when sincere efforts were being made to give a new direction to bilateral ties.
Yang met Manmohan Singh for about half-an-hour for what was described as a business-like conversation during which the Prime Minister politely but
unambiguously conveyed to him New Delhi’s displeasure over the Chinese stand at Vienna.
But the tough talking was reportedly done by Mukherjee when he met the visiting minister. The sources said it was conveyed to the Chinese leader that his country’s conduct at the NSG meet could give a setback to the process of improving ties between the two neighbours.
However, the Chinese minister appeared unfazed after the meeting with Mukherjee. Beijing always “played constructive and responsible” role and “worked for consensus” in the NSG, he said.
“We played a constructive and positive role in both the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) and the NSG,” he said in a brief chat with the mediapersons.
Infuriated over China’s behaviour at the NSG, India had summoned the Chinese envoy in New Delhi to issue a demarche over the weekend. Beijing gave up its objection to the NSG waiver only after US President George W. Bush who spoke to his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao.
What really irked New Delhi was that despite China’s assurance to India at the highest levels that it would not oppose the waiver Beijing went back on its promise and showed its true colour.
Meanwhile, in a clear attempt to pacify New Delhi, the Chinese foreign ministry today welcomed the NSG granting a waiver to India to engage in nuclear commerce, but hoped this cooperation should be conducive to safeguarding the global nuclear non-proliferation efforts.
“China hopes that the decision will contribute to peaceful use of nuclear energy and international cooperation on nuclear non-proliferation,’’ it said in a statement.
