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Jaswant's visit placates Chinese, dialogue resumes

Ramesh Arora in Beijing

India and China resumed their political interaction, stalled after the Pokhran nuclear tests last year, by deciding to establish a security dialogue, enhancing the level of political visits, giving an impetus to the decisions of the joint working group, and promoting economic and trade relations.

These decisions were taken at a two-hour meeting between Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan and External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh who arrived in Beijing today on a two-day visit.

Briefing the media after the meeting, Singh said the proposal for the security dialogue was made by the Chinese and India accepted it.

He said the two countries would engage in the dialogue at an "appropriate level" and the details would be worked out by the foreign offices of the two countries.

Asked whether the Kargil situation was discussed, he said Tang apprised him of certain aspects of Pakistani Foreign Minister Sartaj Aziz's visit to Beijing last week and he shared with the Chinese India's perceptions of the situation.

Singh underlined that Pakistan had violated the Line of Control in the Kargil sector of Jammu and Kashmir by sending armed intruders backed by regular Pakistani troops. Also, he told the Chinese that India has incontrovertible evidence leading up to this assessment.

Singh said the Kargil issue was brought up by both sides, but added that he had not come there to discuss this issue.

Singh, who is the first Indian foreign minister to visit China in eight years, said it had also been decided to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of India-China diplomatic relations in an appropriate manner.

He said the confidence-building measures agreed to in the JWG would be implemented by setting up suitable mechanisms, including a Chinese military-diplomatic team's visit to India.

The minister added that both sides would provide clarifications about the Line of Actual Control along the Sino-Indian border.

Singh said the need to enhance bilateral trade and economic relations was stressed as the two countries, which together have two-fifths of the global population, have a two-way trade of only $2 billion.

He assured his Chinese hosts that as chairman of the India-China economic group, he would do his utmost to give a fillip to bilateral economic relations.

At the outset, Singh said he had a "very cordial, comprehensive, friendly and very productive dialogue with the Chinese foreign minister".

"We covered largely the bilateral aspects of the India-China relationship," he added.

In his opening remarks at the meeting, Singh said the visit by an Indian foreign minister was taking place after eight years and extended good wishes to the Chinese people from the people and the Government of India.

He said that on the eve of his departure from Delhi, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had told him to convey to whomsoever he meets in China that in 1979 he [Vajpayee] as external affairs minister had started the process of improving India-China relations and he [Singh] is carrying forward that process.

Welcoming Singh, Tang said the Indian foreign minister was visiting China after a long time and his visit would be a "meaningful event in promoting China-India relations".

The delegation for the talks includes Indian Ambassador in Beijing Vijay Nambiar, Joint Secretary (East Asia) T C A Rangachari, Joint Secretary (Disarmament) Rakesh Sood and Deputy Chief of Mission in the Indian embassy Neelam Sabharwal.

Jaswant Singh will call on Chinese Prime Minister Zhu Rongji tomorrow and meet other important leaders in the Chinese Communist Party. He will also meet former foreign minister Huang Hua.

Singh will then address a meeting of intellectuals at the prestigious Chinese People's Institute for Foreign Affairs on "emerging patterns of global relationships".

UNI

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