NEW DELHI : The issue of black listing of Pakistan based terrorist Maulana Masood Azhar and India’s entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), both being blocked by Beijing, are likely to top the agenda of the first 1st meeting of the India China Strategic Dialogue which is to take place tomorrow in Beijing.
Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar, who is on a three-nation tour, including Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, will be co-chairing the dialogue with his Chinese counterpart Zhang Yesui, who is Executive Vice Foreign Minister of China.
“China and India will hold the first meeting of the India China Strategic Dialogue co-Chaired by Foreign Secretary and the Executive Vice Foreign Minister of China on 22 February, 2017 in Beijing,” the MEA said.
“The two sides are expected to discuss all issues of mutual interest in the bilateral, regional and international domain,” said the official spokesperson.
China had been persistently blocking India’s bid to get the UN to list Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as a terrorist, provoking an angry reaction from New Delhi.
Last time, when the US with support of three other nations pushed the same proposal at the UN, that also hit the China Wall.
China is the only country among the UN’s 15-member security council to hold out on Resolution 1267, which allows for freezing assets and ban travel for those on the list.
Moreover, China is the only country in the NSG, a 48-member strong nuclear cartel that control the nuclear trade, which is blocking India’s entry into the elite club citing the NPT clause, a treaty which New Delhi refuses to sign.
The Indian side has been in talks with the Chinese on both these issues with no break through in sight. (AGENCIES)
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