Questions of sovereignty need to be addressed: Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar tells China

Pic courtesy: ANI

Beijing: Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar on Tuesday held talks with Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi ahead of key strategic dialogue tomorrow to improve bilateral ties.

Yang besides being the state councillor is Beijing's special representative for border talks between India and China.

In Chinese official hierarchy, state councillor of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) is regarded as the top diplomat functioning directly under the country's leadership.

Jaishankar is expected to meet Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, besides attending an upgraded strategic dialogue with China's executive vice foreign Minister Zhang Yesui tomorrow.

Underlining the significance of the strategic dialogue, which was upgraded during Wang's visit to New Delhi last year, China has deputed Zhang Yesui, also the head of the influential CPC committee of the Chinese Foreign Ministry for the parleys.

Ahead of the talks, China has appeared unrelenting in its opposition to impose the UN ban on Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar and ambivalent on India's membership to the 48-member Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).

Putting the onus on India to prove Azhar's involvement in the Pathankot terror attack, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang had told reporters on February 17 that China will back the move to list him only if there was solid evidence.

Last year, China twice put a technical hold on India's application to 1267 sanctions committee of the UNSC and again blocked a resolution moved by the US - and backed by France and the UK - in January.

China also defends the ambitious CPEC project, saying it is development project and made no difference to its stand that Kashmir issue should be resolve by India and Pakistan.

Ahead of the talks, the FS flagged India's concerns on CPEC and counter-terrorism in an interview with the China's-state run Global Times.

"For us, there are questions of sovereignty which need to be addressed first," Jaishankar said in oblique references to CPEC passing through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK) over which New Delhi has already conveyed its protest to Beijing.

The counter-terrorism is one area in which China and India should make special efforts together, he said, without directly referring to China's repeated technical holds since last year to block Indian and US attempts to clamp a UN ban on JeM chief Azhar.

"China has a very strong, principled position on counter-terrorism. We hope the position China already has will be further implemented," Jaishankar said, adding that discussions with China over the matter are still going on, as per PTI.

State-run Xinhua news agency later reported that Yang has called for stronger ties between India and China during his meeting with Jaishankar.

China is willing to work with India to implement the consensus reached by the two countries' leaders, maintain high-level exchanges and enhance strategic communication and practical cooperation, a press release quoted Yang as saying.

Jaishankar said India attaches great importance to its relationship with China and will strengthen dialogue and cooperation with China to further the bilateral ties, Xinhua said. 

(With PTI inputs)