New Delhi: China has lodged a protest with India for hosting a Taiwanese Parliamentary team and asked it to deal “prudently” with such matters, even as New Delhi dismissed on Wednesday the concerns, saying no “political meanings” should be read into such trips.
But the Indian move to allow the delegation to visit is being seen by some foreign policy watchers as a veiled message to China that its concerns need not be respected by India if it (China) does not respect Indian concerns by shielding Masood Azhar, and blocking India’s NSG membership bid.
Briefing the reporters in Beijing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said, “China lodged representations with India”. “We hope that India would understand and respect China’s core concerns and stick to the ‘One-China’ principle and prudently deal with Taiwan-related issues and maintain sound and steady development of India-China relations,” Geng was quoted by news agency reports from Beijing as having said.
The remarks evoked a prompt reaction from New Delhi, where MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup said, “We understand that a group of Taiwanese academics and businesspersons, including a couple of legislators, is visiting India. Such informal groups have visited India in the past as well for business, religious and tourist purposes... political meanings should not be read into them.”
According to reports, a three-member women’s Parliamentary delegation from Taiwan visited India earlier this week amidst signals of increasing engagement between the two sides. India does not have diplomatic ties with Taiwan.
Taiwan currently has the Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre located in New Delhi. India’s office in Taiwan is called India-Taipei Association.
China considers Taiwan as a renegade province and part of its mainland, and opposes any diplomatic relations as well as political contacts with the island by countries, which have diplomatic relations with it (China). China has been objecting to such visits to India, maintaining that countries that have diplomatic relations with it should fulfil their commitment to the ‘One China’ policy.
China had recently blocked the US move to get Masood Azhar branded a global terrorist by the UN, after which India had issued a demarche to China. Last year, Beijing had blocked an Indian move on the same matter at the UN.
