New Delhi
16 December 2010
The meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chinese Premier
Wen Jiabao was supposed to be a dialogue between two heads of government who,
according to an Indian official, shared a "strong personal chemistry" and a "positive
rapport." But if first impressions are anything to go by, they engaged in parallel
monologues, with the Chinese leader more keen to talk about banalities than to listen to
constructive criticism.
The 11th meeting between Dr Singh and Mr Wen in over six years produced a bland joint
statement, sanitised of all references to the contentious issues bedevilling their bilateral
relationship. China remained non-committal on issues of "core" concern to India, such as
stapled visa to people from Jammu and Kashmir, Chinese infrastructure projects in
Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir, Pakistan-sponsored terrorism directed against India, and the
border dispute. The joint statement arrived at after the hour-long talks was more a
measure of what was omitted than what it contained.
China did make an effort, tentative though as it may be, to suggest that it understands
and supports India's aspirations for a permanent United Nations Security Council seat,
and that it will be ready to import more from India in order to reduce the burgeoning trade
deficit. However, all that the two sides had to show by way of results were a few
agreements, the operationalisation of hotline between Indian and Chinese prime
ministers, and the decision to hold regular high-level visits, including annual meetings
between their foreign ministers.
The six agreements signed on the occasion were in areas such as cultural and media
exchanges, cooperation in green technologies, banking, and China's willingness to
provide hydrological data on Sutlej river in flood season.
A further indication of China's insensitivity to India's concerns about stapled visa came
when foreign secretary Nirupama Rao evaded a direct reply to whether defence
exchanges will resume. "Watch this space," was all she would venture to say at a
hurriedly convened press conference. India suspended the defence exchanges in
August, after China refused visa to a senior Indian Army officer serving in Jammu and
Kashmir.
China remained mute on the issue of terrorism emanating from its 'all-weather friend'
Pakistan, going only as far as to say that all relevant UN resolutions calling for the
proscription of terrorist organisations such as Al-Qaeda and its affiliates like the
Lashkar-e-Tayyiba needs to be implemented. Ironically, while the Chinese premier was
appreciative of India's carefulness in not allowing anti-China activities on its soil, he
would not expect the same from Pakistan vis-a-vis India.
On the boundary issue, India and China agreed to set up a working mechanism for
consultation and coordination. "This (mechanism) will help enhance our mutual trust and
maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas," Mr Wen said in a much-anticipated
speech at the Indian Council of World Affairs.
Pakistan waded into the Singh-Wen talks when regional issues came up for discussion.
India discussed its relations with Pakistan and "clearly put forward" its concern over
terrorism originating from Pakistani soil, Ms Rao noted. Mr Wen referred to how
terrorism posed a threat to the Chinese province of Xinjiang, and conveyed his
sympathies to the 26/11 victims in Mumbai. However, his sentiments did not find their
way into the joint statement. There was no mention of Tibet or India's commitment to
one-China policy either in the joint statement but Ms Rao cautioned against reading too
much into it. "[It was] not a bone of contention," she asserted.
While the jury is still out on whether, from an Indian standpoint, Wen Jiabao's second
visit here in over five years can be termed a success, Ms Rao insisted that the India-
China relationship is in a "process of gradual evolution" and that in the joint statement
there was "evidence of multi-dimensional, well-evolved relationship".
// Box //
Highlights of Singh - Wen talks
* Six agreements signed:
- programme of cultural exchanges for 2010-2012;
- Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Reserve Bank of India and China
Banking Regulatory Commission to increase banking and financial cooperation,
including opening of new banks;
- MoU between Exim Bank and China Development Bank Corporation;
- MoU on cooperation in green technologies;
- MoU on media exchanges; and
- MoU on provision of hydrological data on Sutlej river in flood season by China to India.
* Hotline between Indian and Chinese prime ministers operationalised
* Singh invited to visit China in 2011
* India, China decide to hold regular exchange of visits between heads of state and/or
government
* India, China agree to hold annual exchange of visits between foreign ministers
* Set a new bilateral trade target of $ 100 billion by 2015
* China agrees to take measures to promote greater Indian exports to China with a view
to reduce India's trade deficit
* India welcomes Chinese enterprises to invest and participate in India's infrastructure
projects in roads, railways and in the manufacturing sector
* India-China CEO's Forum constituted
* 2011 declared as the "Year of India-China Exchange" between civil society
organisations, youth, media, scholars, think-tanks, artists and cultural personalities
* China will offer support for training Chinese language teachers and providing Chinese
language training materials to India
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