Amid NSG, Masood Azhar deadlock, Foreign Secretary Jaishankar holds talks with China's top diplomat

Beijing, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar on Tuesday held talks with Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi ahead of key strategic dialogue tomorrow to improve bilateral ties.

Jaishankar arrived in China from Sri Lanka. Yang besides being the state councillor is Beijing's special representative for border talks between India and China.

In Chinese official hierarchy, state councillor of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) is regarded as the top diplomat functioning directly under the country's leadership.

Jaishankar is expected to meet Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, besides attending an upgraded strategic dialogue with China's executive vice foreign Minister Zhang Yesui tomorrow.

Underlining the significance of the strategic dialogue, which was upgraded during Wang's visit to New Delhi last year, China has deputed Zhang Yesui, also the head of the influential CPC committee of the Chinese Foreign Ministry for the parleys.

China has been reluctant to support India's admission into the 48-member Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and back a United Nations ban on Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) leader Masood Azhar.

Putting the onus on India to prove Azhar's involvement in the Pathankot terrorist attack, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang had told reporters on February 17 that China will back the move to list him only if there was solid evidence.

Last year, China twice put a technical hold on India's application to 1267 sanctions committee of the UNSC and again blocked a resolution moved by the US - and backed by France and the UK - in January.

(With PTI inputs)