September 07, 2008	Sunday	Ramazan 06, 1429

NEW DELHI: India said it was disappointed by China’s role at the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group talks in Vienna, accusing Beijing of wavering on its promise to New Delhi for help to get the waiver to engage in nuclear commerce, which it got on Saturday despite Beijing’s apparent resistance.“I must say that we are very disappointed, because at a very high level Chinese President Hu Jintao and Chinese Prime Minster Wen Jiabao had told our PM and their foreign minister told our foreign minister that China would not be a problem,” India’s national Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan said in a TV interview.

“In the last 48 or 72 hours the Chinese did not show any tendency of opposing the deal. So when in the last 48 hours the Chinese sided with the sceptics, we were surprised and disappointed,” Mr Narayanan said.

In a report from Beijing, Press Trust of India said that China hoped that the NSG would “equally address the aspirations of all parties,” an apparent reference to its ally Pakistan, for the peaceful use of atomic energy.

It quoted Cheng Jingye, head of the Chinese delegation in the Vienna talks, as saying that Beijing hoped the decision made by the grouping would “stand the test of time and contribute to the goals of nuclear non-proliferation and peaceful use of nuclear power.”

Cheng also said it was China’s hope “that the NSG would equally address the aspirations of all parties for the peaceful use of nuclear power while adhering to the nuclear non-proliferation mechanism.” PTI said the reference was apparently to Pakistan’s quest for a civil nuclear deal with the United States, similar to the Indo-US agreement.

“China would cooperate with all parties on the peaceful use of nuclear power in accordance with its international obligations and on the basis of equality and mutual benefit,” Cheng said.