Report

back to issue

THE Chinese Ambassador, H.E. Sun Yuxi, who spoke extempore, said he was happy that during his tenure as the Chinese Ambassador in New Delhi, the relations between the two countries were achieving all-round development. He recalled that the two countries had established a benchmark for international relations quite early in the form of Panchsheel, which became the norm for international relations generally. He emphasized that both countries were developing nations and their status as developing countries provided a solid basis for enduring friendship. India and China were the only two countries each with a billion plus population. ‘In any world forum, if we speak with one voice, we can make a big difference.’

Recounting the latest developments in bilateral relations he said that the strategic cooperative partnership for peace and prosperity will determine the nature of our relationship. The Declaration issued during the visit of the Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao last year was a significant event. Since then the meetings between Chinese leaders and the Indian prime minister at various occasions have been a positive step towards building harmonious relations. The meetings underlined that both leaders hold similar views on various international problems facing the world. He recalled that last year after the visit of the Chinese Premier, India was co-opted to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Similarly, China was accepted as an observer in SAARC. Both India and China participated at the East Asia Summit as original invitees. On Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran, both countries hold similar views.

In the economic field, trade last year touched US $18.7 billion; the target is US $20 billion by 2008 and US $30 billion in 2010. These targets look rather conservative, he said. We can now aim to reach the 50 billion dollar mark in five years. He added that economic cooperation in other fields was equally buoyant with more than 150 Indian companies in China. In India too there are 50 to 60 Chinese companies involved in many infrastructure projects like power, highways, telecommunication, etc. He said that the visit of the Chinese commerce minister in March promoted many-sided cooperation to reach a much higher level of development. An agreement on protection and promotion of investments is on the anvil. The two countries are cooperating in the WTO on many trade related issues and a CEOs forum is being set up to sharpen interaction between big corporates on both sides.

The relations in the cultural field are also looking up. The year 2006 is being celebrated as the Year of Friendship. Cultural activities will be promoted in both the countries during the year. To promote Chinese studies, Confucius College is being set up in the JNU and facilities for study of Chinese language will be initiated in many other universities. In Beijing University for Foreign Studies, a Hindi studies department will be started to promote Indian studies. China will repair the Xuanzhuang Memorial Hall in Nalanda and India will construct a Buddhist temple in Indian style in Luoyang, China. Buddhism should help cultural exchanges as in the ancient history of the two countries. A large Chinese central television team will trace the ancient route which Xuan Zhang, the Chinese Buddhist scholar took in ancient times to travel to India to study Buddhism. CCTV is producing a 10-hour long documentary film by the end of the year which will project his travels to both Chinese and Indian audiences. Indian and Chinese cultural troupes will visit each other’s country during the year.

On cooperation in the defence field, the Ambassador spoke of the growing contacts between the armed forces of the two countries. He said that more than 20 Chinese generals visited India last year. There was also a plan for military officers’ exchange visits this year. He spoke of the visit of the Chinese naval ship to Cochin and that joint naval exercises were planned during the current year. He said two or three Indian war ships would visit Shanghai and other naval stations of China this year. There is bonhomie between the border guards of the two countries deployed on high mountains. They join in each other’s festivities and exchange presents and sweets, a very positive development.

Speaking of areas that could be a source of avoidable concern, he said there is speculation that the visit of US President George Bush and the civilian nuclear cooperation between the two countries was a source of worry to China. There is considerable conjecture that the Chinese are worried about India being befriended by USA to contain the rise of China as a superpower. He did not agree with any of these contentions. China and USA have had a much deeper and closer relationship for some time and China has no such worry. China-America relations were independent of India-USA relations and hence media speculation on this count was wrong and unfounded. He said India pursued an independent foreign policy and could not be used by any country to contain China. China trusts India and India-China friendship is enduring. He said China was strong enough and could not be contained by any country, and that in the face of improvement of China-US relations, such theories of containment had no place. He reminded the audience that China-US trade was ten times that of India-USA. China had more contacts in different fields with the USA than India had. He emphasized that the present world stood for cooperation and dialogue.

On some people pointing out that China not being a democracy was a hindrance to development of friendly relations, he clarified that China was a democracy though it may not fit the classical definition of western democracy; her democracy was indigenous and based on China’s own historical experience. He explained that China is a multi-party democracy with one party in the leadership. Though there is no party in opposition, there are several other political parties, all in cooperation with the leading party. He insisted that Chinese democracy fitted China better than the western style of democracy since it was home-grown.

Speaking of the India-China boundary dispute, he said it was a problem left over by history. He reminded the audience that during the Chinese premier’s visit last year, an agreement on the political parameters and guiding principles for settlement of the boundary question was signed. This would help in the settlement of the boundary dispute. He said border trade will pick up and this year expected Nathu la to open up for border trade between the two countries. Therefore, he was confident the border issue would no longer divide the two countries. He also expected that relaxation of tension along the border would help to reduce the number of guards deployed on the border.

During the brief question-answer session, he stressed that he saw no problem if India wanted to take a gas pipeline from Kazakhstan to India via China, but felt that it would not be cost effective, particularly when high mountains were to be crossed. In answer to another question he said that cooperation between India, China and Russia was increasing and the three countries were now holding regular tripartite meetings.

Regarding Chinese help to Pakistan in her nuclear programme, he assured his audience that it was purely in the civilian field and under IAEA supervision. China was wedded to nuclear non-proliferation and had extended no non-civilian assistance to Pakistan. China too was against any nuclear weapons programme of Iran, North Korea or any other country.

Replying to a question on China’s support for Indian membership of the Security Council, the Ambassador said China wanted India to play a larger role in international relations.

Regarding the need for a forum to sort out glitches in the economic and trade relations between the two countries, the Ambassador said China was anxious for such a mechanism. There should perhaps be a task force to look into such trade-related problems which Indian business may face in China. He said there was a proposal to set up a India-China Chamber of Trade and Commerce which could provide greater coordination.

Replying to a question regarding China’s position on the Nepal imbroglio and reported supply of Chinese arms to Nepal, the Ambassador said China was committed to developing friendly relations with Nepal. The present trouble in Nepal was an internal matter of that country and China would not interfere.

On the Dalai Lama question, the Ambassador said the Dalai Lama has to accept three preconditions to any rapprochement: (i) that Tibet was an integral part of China; (ii) that Taiwan too was part of China, and (iii) that he had to stop splitting China. He asked that if he (Dalai Lama) was a religious leader as he claimed, then why did he need a Government in Exile which he maintained in India. Further, that Tibet is developing fast and when he last visited Tibet, he found it was doing very well. The impression given by some western media that there is resistance in Tibet is not correct.

 

* A report on the presentation by the Chinese Ambassador, Sun Yuxi, at the seminar, ‘India-China Relations’, CPAS, 14 April 2006.

top