From CK Nayak
New Delhi: India and China on Monday tried to mend ways for overall economic growth of the two fast growing and most populous nations in the world during the maiden visit of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang to any country, but the contentious border issues remains on the backburner.
Both the countries also agreed for increasing regional cooperation involving Bangladesh and Myanmar, both next door neighbours of the North East.
Incidentally, Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma and former Union Minister of State and Shillong MP Vincent H Pala are scheduled to visit China within a few days to discuss economic issues concerning the region, official sources said here on Monday.
India and China will study new ways to ease tensions along their ill-defined border, the Chinese Premier said on Monday in his first foreign trip which comes just weeks after a military stand-off between the Asian giants.
He also offered New Delhi a ‘handshake across the Himalayas’ and said the world’s most populous nations could become a new engine for the global economy if they could avoid such irritants.
Both the countries also signed one agreement on sharing information on water flows in the Brahmaputra river twice a month.
The Chinese delegation also assured to take care of India and Bangladesh’s interest while constructing dams on the international river which is a constant worry for both the riparian countries.
“Both sides believe that we need to improve the various border-related mechanisms that we have put into place and make them more efficient. We need to appropriately manage and resolve our differences,” Li said at a joint news conference with Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, where both leaders appeared relaxed.
China and India disagree about large areas on their 4,000-km-long border, fought a brief but bloody war 50 years ago (1962) but there has not been a shooting incident in decades.
In a departure of diplomatic niceties Li and his counterpart Dr Manmohan Singh, held private talks followed by a dinner at the latter’s official residence. Many of India’s top political leaders, including opposition figures, were on the guest list.
Li is leading a large delegation of Chinese business leaders, including bankers and executives from two leading Chinese telecommunications giants. He is expected to try to keep the three-day trip focused on economic ties between China and India, which have grown rapidly over the past decade.
Still, officials said they appreciated Li’s decision to make India his first foreign visit. The Chinese leader is scheduled to fly to Pakistan, India’s bitter rival, on Tuesday.
Pakistan and China have long had strong military ties, but growing internal turmoil has cost Pakistan some of its international clout. China is building a port in Pakistan, a source of concern for India.
China, meanwhile, has strengthened ties with Sri Lanka and Nepal, countries where India has long played an important role.
In addition to trade, China and India will discuss Afghanistan and how to handle the expected departure of international troops in 2014, officials said.
The Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, is scheduled to land in Delhi the day Li leaves India.
China sees the growing American focus on Asia as an effort to contain China’s growing assertiveness, and is in a quiet tug of war with the United States over India. US Secretary of State John Kerry is to visit India in June in hopes of further strengthening ties.
Another irritant between India and China is that India has long given sanctuary to the Dalai Lama and the self-declared Tibetan government in exile.