The pledge was made at a meeting between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Saturday.
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Wang Yi, who is on a three-day tour to India, met his Indian counterpart on Saturday.
The Chinese Foreign Minister’s discussion with the leadership in New Delhi assumes significance as it comes after China ruled out bending rules for India’s entry to the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) in June. A new mechanism at level of Foreign Secretaries will be set up to discuss ties.
The Minister conveyed India’s concerns on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor which passes through Pak Occupied Kashmir. Progress in bilateral ties was reviewed, as also challenges on some recent issues.
Working in tandem with its all-weather friend Pakistan, China had also earlier blocked India’s move to get a United Nations ban on terror outfit JeM chief Masood Azhar.
“China’s technical hold on listing of Masood Azhar in the UNSC 1267 Committee also taken up. China was urged to revisit its technical hold in line with its own professed zero-tolerance towards terrorism”, the newspaper said.
With India offering to discuss “any technical issues” over which China may have doubts, the two foreign ministers agreed that the “director generals of disarmament of the two countries would meet soon”, the sources said. Swaraj outlined the importance of meeting India’s clean energy goals in the context of COP-21.
Discussions were held in a “positive, constructive and open spirit” say sources but the gulf on key issues appears to remain as wide as ever. People familiar with the developments described this as a step forward in the backdrop of China’s intransigence of India’s non-NPT status and Pakistan’s inclusion in NSG.
“Lengthy discussion were held on India’s NSG membership”.
Prime Minister Modi had visited China from May 14-16 a year ago.
Significantly, the Chinese minister’s visit comes a few days after China’s incursion in the Chamoli district of Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. “This is just a ploy to keep India from taking a position on the South China Sea that will embarrass the Chinese”, he said.
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Bara Hoti, which is spread across 80 sq.km in Chamoli, is a disputed territory between India and China. However, this was not the first time that Chinese troops have infiltrated the border. China is on a back foot after an worldwide tribunal court dismissed the country’s territorial claims in the South China Sea. “China is obviously feeling a lot under pressure because of the South China Sea verdict and the kind of stand India took. and so, they might look for some sort of compromise, but (it is) too early to say how this will play out in order to find a favourable solution”, she said. Without naming China then, India had indicated that one country had put a roadblock to its NSG membership.
