Nearly two-and-a-half months after China scuttled India’s NSG membership bid, the two countries on Wednesday discussed disarmament and non-proliferation issues with a focus on India’s entry into the elite nuclear trade grouping, with China asserting that the matter has to be resolved multilaterally and not bilaterally.
A Chinese delegation led by Director General of Department of Arms Control Wang Qun visited India for talks with an Indian delegation led by Amandeep Singh Gill, Joint Secretary (Disarmament & International Security) in the Ministry of External Affairs.
“The talk covered issues of mutual interest in the area of disarmament and non-proliferation. As agreed by the External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in their meeting on August 13, the two sides focused in particular on an issue of priority for India – membership of the NSG,” the Ministry said in a press release.
It said the discussions were “candid, pragmatic and substantive”.
Noting that participation in the 48-member NSG is an issue of “major concern” to India, the Chinese Embassy here said China “for its part, shared with India the recent developments as it sees within the Group in relation to the question.
