Reacting angrily to a report that Japan plans to sell search-and-rescue aircraft to India at a lower cost, China on Tuesday said it would consider such a move “disgraceful” if it is aimed at pressuring Beijing over the disputed South China Sea issue.
“I have noted this report. We hold no objection to normal state to state cooperation including defence cooperation,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, Hua Chunying told media briefing here on Tuesday.
“But if the report is true that if someone is making unrighteous move then this is very disgraceful,” she said replying to a question that Tokyo plans sell $1.6 billion worth of Shinmaywa US-2+ search and rescue aircraft to India at a cheaper rates to strengthen security cooperation with New Delhi.
Ms Hua said “we hold no objection to state to state cooperation including defence cooperation as long is such cooperation is normal”.
“But as reported that the Japanese government is to cut the price to sell weapons to India with an aim to pressurise China on the South China Sea issue and such attempt is targeted at China. If such a report is true then we don’t think the purpose such cooperation is righteous”.
Later, she said that it was natural for China and India not to see eye-to-eye on some issues, but friendship would prevail over “problems”.
“China-India strategic partnership of cooperation has made all-round progress these years. The two countries are marching toward the goal of building a closer partnership of development,” she said.
Ms Hua was reacting to Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar’s remarks that sanctioning of well-known terrorist leaders besides issues like access to cooperation in the field of civil nuclear energy should not emerge as points of difference with China. He was referring to China blocking India’s bid to get a UN ban on Pakistan-based JeM chief Masood Azhar as well as Beijing scuttling India’s entry in the Nuclear Suppliers Group.
