Foreign Secretary Jaishankar makes undisclosed trip to China over NSG membership

Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar visited Beijing on 16-17 June ahead of the key meeting in Seoul, South Korea, where India's membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) is expected to be deliberated upon by the atomic trading club.

"Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar visited Beijing (China) on June 16-17 for bilateral consultations with his Chinese counterpart," reported ANI, quoting the Ministry of External Affairs.

The Ministry also said that all major issues including India's NSG membership were discussed in the meeting between Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart.

Chinese official media on Thursday said that though India is 'inching closer' to attaining a membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group its inclusion into the elite grouping would break the "nuclear balance" between India and Pakistan.

According to an India Today report, Jaishankar's hushed visit comes days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on 23 June when both leaders will attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation leaders' meeting in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

Citing the case of France, India has asserted that being a signatory to the

Non-Proliferation Treaty

Mexico, US, Switzerland, and Japan have expressed their support for India's inclusion in the NSG.

US has also urged NSG members to not block consensus on India's admission.