HONG KONG: Caught up in the engineered enthusiasm of the Paralympics, another sporting extravaganza now underway in China following up on the recent Beijing Olympics, the Chinese media on Sunday took only fleeting notice of the Nuclear Suppliers Group’s historic decision, at its meeting in Vienna, to end India’s nuclear isolation.
Reporting on the NSG waiver, China’s official news agency Xinhua noted that “some experts said the (Indo-US civilian nuclear) agreement, if implemented, would set a dangerous precedent, which would jeopardise the long-time efforts of the international nuclear non-proliferation mechanism and also trigger a regional nuclear arms race.”
It also quoted Cheng Jingye, head of the Chinese delegation at Vienna, as saying that China hoped that the decision made by the NSG would “stand the test of time and contribute to the goals of nuclear non-proliferation and peaceful use of nuclear power.”
“It is also China’s hope that the NSG would equally address the aspirations of all parties for the peaceful use of nuclear power while adhering to the nuclear non-proliferation mechanism,” Xinhua further quoted Cheng as saying. China, it noted, would cooperate with all parties on the peaceful use of nuclear power in accordance with its international obligations and on the basis of equality and mutual benefit.
No mention was made of China’s decision to give voice at the meeting to non-proliferation concerns, which very nearly torpedoed an agreement. Nor was any reference made to any of the backroom arm-twisting that facilitated China’s eventual support for the waiver, including US president George Bush’s phone call to his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao.
China’s artless diplomacy in Vienna, which went against its own publicly stated stand that it would not pose a hurdle to the Indo-US agreement, is certain to cast a shadow on relations with India at least in the immediate future, notes a strategic affairs analyst.
Observing that India’s National Security Adviser MK Narayanan had articulated “disappointment” with China’s turnaround during the last two days, the analyst felt India may be compelled to formally express its disappointment during the visit of Chinese foreign minister Yang Jieche. “It would take a lot of explaining from the Chinese side for Indian sentiments to be fully placated. It’s hard to say that these developments won’t cast a shadow on bilateral relations going forward.”
At one stage over the past 24 hours, there was even speculation that an incensed Indian government would consider cancelling Yang’s visit in response to what is seen as China’s “duplicitous” move in Vienna. “Times like these are a test of friendship and it’s fair to say that on this count China failed this test,” the analyst added.
