It's For Responsible Nations To Reflect: India On China's Support To Pak
Responsible nations should reflect whether supporting attempts to protect terrorist infrastructure affects their reputation : MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal
New Delhi: India on Tuesday delivered a sharp rebuke to China for supporting Pakistan during Operation Sindoor in May last year. “We have seen these reports that corroborate what was known earlier. ... It is for nations who consider themselves responsible to reflect whether supporting attempts to protect terrorist infrastructure affects their reputation and standing,” ministry of external affairs spokesperson Randir Jaiswal said.
He was responding to reports that Chinese military aviation engineers had provided on-site technical support to Pakistan, at his weekly briefing on Tuesday. Jaiswal added: “Operation Sindoor was a precise, targeted and calibrated response to the terrorist attacks in Pahalgam, aimed at destroying state sponsored terrorist infrastructure operating out of Pakistan and at its behest.”
The Chinese involvement in Operation Sindoor was made clear after the well-known Hong Kong-based ‘South China Morning Post (SCMP)’ English-language newspaper reported that the Chinese state broadcaster CCTV aired an interview with Zhang Heng, a Chinese military aviation engineer who said he had provided on-site technical support to Pakistan during the four-day conflict with India in May last year. Up to 80 per cent of Pakistan’s defence platforms and weaponry including fighter aircraft are reportedly Chinese-made.
Asked whether there would be a joint statement after the BRICS foreign ministers meeting on Thursday and Friday, the MEA spokesperson indicated that updates on this would be provided in due course. It may be noted that as the BRICS Chair, India faces a near-impossible challenge on its hands to evolve a consensus on the West Asia conflict.
In a statement, the MEA said the foreign ministers would exchange views on global and regional issues of mutual interest. On the second day, BRICS member and partner countries will participate in a session themed ‘BRICS@20: Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”. This will be followed by a session on the "Reforms of Global Governance and Multilateral System’.” The foreign ministers will call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the MEA said.
India had even earlier stated that formulation of a common position on the West Asian conflict in the grouping has been “difficult” and has been "impacted" as some of the BRICS members are nations involved in the ongoing conflict.
Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi will skip the BRICS foreign ministers' meeting to be held here on Thursday and Friday due to United States President Donald Trump's visit to Beijing, The Chinese foreign ministry had announced earlier in Beijing that Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong would represent Wang at the meeting due to “scheduling reasons”.
The 11 member-nation BRICS grouping comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa besides relatively new members Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Indonesia, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia who joined the grouping in the past two years. Saudi Arabia has been associated in a very limited capacity and it’s unclear whether there will be any representation from it at the meeting.
