Insisting that it had done nothing to sabotage Nuclear Suppliers' Group waiver for India, China on Tuesday said the two countries should 'move beyond doubts' to build a stronger relationship.
Coverage: Indo-US Nuclear Deal
Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said his country fully understands India's 'urgency' to make 'full use' of peaceful nuclear power because of its growing needs and that he was 'shocked and surprised' on seeing reports over Beijing's role in the meeting of the Nuclear Suppliers Group in Vienna last week.
"We were talking about responsible and constructive approach when we were discussing safeguards agreement with India at the IAEA," Yang said, about the August meeting of the Board of Governors of the UN nuclear watchdog.
"And then the issue was at Nuclear Suppliers Group statement on civilian use of nuclear energy by India. Likewise, China adopted a constructive and responsible attitude and participated in consensus vote," he said at a function organised by Institute of Chinese Studies and the Indian Council of World Affairs.
He said before the consensus was reached at NSG, "China already made it clear in the second vote that we have no problem with the drafted statement."
Hoping that the two sides would 'turn a leaf' in mutual interest, the Chinese Foreign Minister said, 'let us work together to move beyond doubts to build a stronger relationship between us.'
