India raises issues of NSG, Masood Azhar with China

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and held talks with his counterpart Sushma Swaraj on Saturday, during which India’s bid for membership in the Nuclear Supplies Group (NSG) is reported to have figured among other regional and bilateral issues.

China’s technical hold on listing of Masood Azhar in UNSC 1267 Committee was discussed during Sushma Swaraj’s meeting with Wang Yi, and according to sources, China was urged to revisit its technical hold in line with its own professed zero tolerance towards terrorism.

Earlier, MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup had tweeted saying that Swaraj would be discussing matters of “mutual importance” with her Chinese counterpart.

Swaraj also conveyed to Wang India’s concerns on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) during the three-hour-long discussion including over lunch. They reviewed the situation on the border and discussed further steps to strengthen peace.  

Wang also held a lengthy discussion with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a number of issues were addressed during the 20-minute-long meeting. 

China had scuttled India’s bid for membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) at the plenary meeting of the 48-nation grouping in June on the grounds that it was not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), evoking a strong reaction from India. India had said China was the only country that put a road block to its NSG membership. Swaraj also raised the issue of China blocking India’s efforts to get JeM chief Azhar, mastermind of the Mumbai and Pathankot terror attacks, banned by the UN.

“China’s technical hold on listing of Masood Azhar in the UNSC 1267 Committee was also taken up. China was urged to revisit its technical hold in line with its own professed zero tolerance towards terrorism,” the sources said.

“A new mechanism at the level of Foreign Secretaries agreed to discuss ties,” the sources said. They added Swaraj and Wang focussed on bilateral issues, regional and global developments besides preparations for the BRICS summit which will be held in Goa in October. In his meeting with Modi, Wang briefed him on G20 Summit to be held in China in September. Wang had arrived in Goa on Friday on a three-day visit to India.