China overplayed its hand at NSG

HONG KONG: China’s “usually sophisticated diplomacy” has blotted its copybook in the past 48 hours. While India eventually secured the NSG waiver, the fallout of China’s stand will cast a shadow on Sino-Indian relations, a noted strategist affairs analyst said.

“China clearly overplayed its hand at the NSG, when its delegates in Vienna indicated they would not be rushed into a waiver agreement and were returning to Beijing for consultations,” the analyst said, on condition of anonymity.

After repeated assurances from President Hu Jintao downwards that China would not pose any hurdle to the Indo-US nuclear agreement, China’s last-minute move at Vienna was a “low blow”, he said.

Before China added its voice to those of other critics of the Indo-US agreement, it appeared that the NSG waiver proposal would come unstuck at the last minute. “Perhaps China felt it could nudge it over the edge,” the analyst reckoned.

Though China’s disagreement was voiced in nuanced fashion it was uncharacteristically reckless given the denouement, the analyst said. The analyst felt that India may be compelled to formally express its disappointment during the visit of China's Foreign Minister Yang Jieche from Sunday.