There are 'no good or bad terrorists': Pranab Mukherjee tells Xi Jinping

Beijing: India on Thursday sought China's cooperation in international fora like the UN in the fight against terrorism making it clear that there was "no good or bad terrorists" and told Beijing that it should play a positive role in ensuring a predictable nuclear regime as New Delhi seeks to join the elite Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).

The two issues came up during President Pranab Mukherjee's talks with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang at the Great Hall of the People on the penultimate day of his four-day maiden state visit to China.

Largely, there was appreciation of the President's visit by the Chinese leadership and all the three leaders acknowledged his positive role in building the bilateral relationship during his long political career in different capacities. However, there was acknowledgment of differences.

Briefing the media on the 80-minute talks Mukherjee held at delegation level with Xi, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar said they were frank and both sides acknowledged the need to respect each other's sensitivities and concerns.

The President raising the issues of cooperation in combating terrorirsm and the need for a predictable nuclear regimes assumes significance in the context of China's action in blocking the United Nations' move to blacklist Jaish-e- Mohammad chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist and the bid to block India's admission to the NSG on the ground it has not signed the Non-Proflieration Treaty (NPT).

Essentially what was conveyed to China during the discussions was that it was a global fight against terrorism and India and China are affected by it.

"There are strong sentiments on the issue in India because many lives have been lost. For the elimination of international and cross-border terrorism there is no such thing as good terrorists or bad terroris. They don't have any ideology.

"We must have an expansion of cooperation both bilaterally and multilaterally through close cooperation in the UN. Broadly, there was acceptance on this position. We want cooperation in the UN," the foreign secretary said.

Asked whether the JeM issue was specifically raised, he said, "the President specifically referred to the menace of transborder terrorism. There was no good or bad terrorism and they should take into account each other's sensitivities. We have spoken on cross border terrorism and zero tolerance on terrorism. No good or bad terrorists and they should cooperate closely in the UN on this issue."

While flagging the need for India's attempts to bridge the growing energy deficit without compromising on climate change, Mukherjee asked Xi to give personal attention to this matter.

Interestingly, in the Chinese briefing to the media after talks between Mukherjee and Xi, officials said though there was no direct discussion about India's access to NSG, the two leaders mentioned the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and agreed to strengthen cooperation and exchanges in this regard.

About terrorism, they said the two leaders discussed the counter-terrorism cooperation agreed to work under the framework of global institutions like the UN and BRICS.