India should engage China directly: Diplomat

‘Avoid blaming China as an obstacle for accessing high technology from global market’

India should engage China directly for better coordination on multilateral platforms like the Nuclear Suppliers Group and avoid blaming China as an obstacle for accessing high technology from the global market, a top Chinese official posted in India said this week. The statement from the Chinese side was made by the Embassy of China’s Charge D’Affaires Liu Jingsong who participated in a “closed door” interactive session titled, “Recent Development in India-China Relations,” at the Observer Research Foundation on July 5.

“Mr. Liu Jingsong strongly defended Chinese position on a number of critical multilateral issues like membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group. He said that it’s wrong to point out China as the ‘one country’ that opposed India’s membership at the Nuclear Suppliers Group as they had the support of at least 10 members of the grouping,” said a senior diplomatic source who was present at the meeting on condition of anonymity as the meeting was held without the media. “He said that India should talk to China directly for such issues as that is the only way to move ahead,” the source said.

India had been pointing out since its failed attempt to join the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) on June 24 that “only one country” opposed its membership bid at the plenary of NSG held in Seoul.

Mr. Liu is known for his direct way of communication in the diplomatic circle of Delhi and dealt with the questions from the gathering of senior diplomats and think tank professionals in a forthright manner,

The Hindu has learnt. Mr. Liu has been the face of the Embassy of China since the departure of the last ambassador of Le Yucheng earlier this year.

However, the strongest comments from Mr. Liu came regarding the Chinese claim of the South China Sea. “He said the legal challenges that are being thrown to counter China’s claim on the South China Sea is based on historic issues and that the challenges thrown to China’s claim are of recent origin,” the source informed.

The strong defence on the South China Sea issue was part of China’s ongoing attempts to convey its position in the run-up to the scheduled session of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague on July 12 where the Tribunal will issue its Award for the case started by the Philippines.