CHINA WELCOMES MODI’S REMARK
ON INDO-SINO PEACEFUL TIES
China on Monday welcomed remarks by
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Russia regarding the status of India-China
ties, and stressed that a positive relationship between Beijing and New Delhi
was of global significance.“We have noted the positive remark made by Indian
Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the China- India (situation). We welcome
that,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying observed during her
regular media briefing.“The two major countries China and India maintaining
sound and steady bilateral relationship is of great significance,” she
observed.
Ms. Hua was responding to a question
regarding observations by Prime Minister in St. Petersburg, where he had
stressed, during a panel discussion, that despite their border dispute, the
China-India frontier was peaceful for the last four decades. "It is true
that we have a border dispute with China. But in the last 40 years, not a
single bullet has been fired because of it," he said.During an interview
with Russia Television (RT), Mr. Modi had said that “the 21st century is the
century of Asia”. “It means that both India and China will influence the
situation of the world in the coming decades.”Earlier in the day, China’s Assistant
Foreign Minister Li Huilai had welcomed the “multiple meetings” between Chinese
President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and pointed out that
“healthy relations” between China and India would contribute “to Asia (as well
as) world peace stability”.
Mr. Li, however, did not confirm whether
the two leaders would meet on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation
Organisation (SCO), which gets underway in Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana, on
June 7.Analysts point out that after the friction caused by the Belt and Road
summit held in the Chinese capital that India boycotted, Beijing and New Delhi
were now keen to re-pivot their ties in a positive direction. A string of
Indian ministers starting with Science and Technology minister, Harsh Vardhan
who arrived in Beijing on Monday, are in the offing. The visitors would also
include the minister of state for external affairs V.K. Singh, who will arrive
in Beijing later his month to participate in the first meeting of foreign
ministers of the Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS) grouping.
Ms. Hua underscored that China and India
have taken “serious measures” to maintain peace and tranquility over the border
areas.Asked to comment on the alleged straying of a Chinese helicopter across
the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC), Ms. Hua referred to the
Chinese defence ministry for further detail of the incident. But she said that
“in principle,” China and India have territorial disputes in the eastern section
of the Sino-Indian frontier.“The Chinese military carry out regular patrolling
in the relevant areas. We hope that the two sides will make joint efforts to
maintain tranquility and peace in the border areas.”Responding specifically to
the Prime Minister observation regarding the border, Ms. Hua said that,
“Actually, leaders of the two countries pay great attention to the boundary
question.”
She added: “Each time they meet, they
would exchange views on this issue. Both sides agree that an early settlement
of the boundary questions serves interest of the both sides. It helps both
sides to achieve their strategic goal. Both sides have been discussing the
settlement of the boundary question.”In response to another question, Mr. Li,,
said that India’s bid for membership of the 48-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group
(NSG) “is more complicated then what was imagined previously”. He added: “China
supports the NSG to have several consultations to reach a non-discriminatory
and universally applicable solution to all the members of the NSG.”During his
briefing, which mainly covered the SCO, Mr. Li confirmed that India and
Pakistan will become full members of the grouping during the course of the
Astana summit.He said that a resolution would be passed “according status of
membership to India and Pakistan”. With the inclusion of the two countries, the
“geographic coverage (of the SCO) will be extended to South Asia, covering
three-fifth of the Eurasian continent covering half the population of the
world”.
Steering clear of any reference to
Islamabad, Mr. Li highlighted that combating international terrorism was a
shared global responsibility.Asked to comment on accusations that the Haqqani
network, allegedly backed by the Pakistani intelligence, was behind the recent
Kabul blasts that killed scores, Mr. Li said that Beijing opposed “all forms of
terrorism”.Citing the string of terror attacks that targeted Afghanistan,
Britain, and the Philippines, the Chinese official highlighted that global
consensus had been achieved that “the international community had to jointly
tackle terrorism”. No “single country or party” had the capacity to tackle the
menace alone.
Prof. John Kurakar
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