Adopted constructive role at NSG, says Yang

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Nuclear energy to meet rising needs, says PM

New Delhi, Sep 9: Days after trying to sabotage the NSG waiver for India, China on Tuesday struck a reconciliatory tone saying the two countries should “move beyond doubts” to build a stronger relationship.

Refuting suggestions that Beijing had attempted to pose hurdles before India’s bid to do global nuclear business, visiting Chinese foreign minister Yang Jiechi said he “shocked and surprised” to see reports over Beijing’s role in the meeting of the Nuclear Suppliers Group in Vienna last week.

Yang said China fully understands India’s “urgency” to make “full use” of peaceful nuclear power because of its growing needs. “We were talking about responsible and constructive approach when we were discussing safeguards agreement with India at the IAEA,” he said, referring to the meeting of the Board of Governors of the UN nuclear watchdog. “Likewise China adopted a constructive and responsible attitude and participated in consensus vote (at the NSG),” he said at a function organised by Institute of Chinese Studies and the Indian Council of World Affairs.

Government sources here, however, had maintained that China did try to subtly upstage the NSG waiver in Vienna. They contended that both President George Bush as well as US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice had to made last minute critical interventions at the highest levels with the Chinese, only after which the latter fell in line. Subsequently directions were issued to the Chinese representative to support the NSG waiver, who had earlier bee adamant that no exception is made for India.

Yang, however, maintained that Beijing had taken the stand to be on the side of consensus from the very beginning. “We had already made it clear in the second vote that we have no problem with the drafted statement. Period. It is as simple as that,” he said. Hoping that the two sides would “turn a leaf” in mutual interest, the Chinese foreign minister said, “let us work together to move beyond doubts to build a stronger relationship between us.”

The Chinese foreign minister also said that there never has been any fundamental conflict of interest between India and China. Reiterating his stand that India and China are partners and not rivals, Yang said, “China will work with India to remove trade and investment barriers. We will simplify visa procedures and facilitate Indian tourist travel to Tibet.”