New Delhi
1 April 2010
Chinese ambassador to India Zhang Yan introduced Six Commandments into the
Sino-Indian bilateral discourse on the day which marked the 60th anniversary of the
establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The commandments, which he spelt out at a seminar here on Thursday, would
supplement the five principles of peaceful coexistence or Panchsheel, which is in vogue
for the last 56 years of the six decades of bilateral ties.
Mr Zhang spoke of enhancing mutual trust, improving economic cooperation, expanding
people-to-ties, strengthening cooperation in multilateral forum, properly addressing each
other's concerns and properly handling the public opinion.
He dwelt at some length on the last two, which have an immediate resonance here
because of the recent spats over issuance of "stapled" visas for Indians from Jammu
and Kashmir, border transgressions and belligerent statements on Arunachal Pradesh.
The envoy said India and China "need urgently to enhance their mutual trust" and
"appropriately manage the outstanding issues through mutual consultations on an equal
footing and in a spirit of mutual understanding".
He noted that the "two countries should provide correct guidance to the public opinions
and avoid of war of words," a view which was shared by National Security Adviser Shiv
Shankar Menon.
In his key-note address, Mr Menon said "neither India nor China can afford
misperceptions" arising from "the shrill and over excitable commentary on the
relationship that has appeared in both countries in the last year or so."
The remarks by Mr Menon and Mr Zhang came on the day when India discussed China
and Asian security with a visiting US delegation led by US Assistant Secretary of State
for East Asia Kurt Campbell.
Mr Menon suggested that India and China have reached a stage in their relationship
when they can "actively consider together the next steps" such as a detailed framework
for resolving the border dispute in a manner that is politically feasible for both
leaderships.
He said: "The two countries have found a modus vivendi to deal with the fact of the
boundary issue and to manage their different approaches to issues where their
peripheries overlap.
"India and China both cooperate and compete at the same time because of their interests
and how they perceive the balance of power and situation around them. We have also
shown through practice that our bilateral relations are too important to be affected by our
relations with any third country."
Mr Menon concluded by posing whether India and China can work together to help to
manage the complicated regional security environment in Asia.
India prefers an open security architecture and the sort of multi-polarity that China too
has advocated previously for global issues, but the issue is whether they are willing and
capable of contributing to the security of the global commons.
External Affairs Minister SM Krishna will visit China from April 5 to 8. In Beijing, he will
flag off the celebrations to mark the 60th anniversary of relations and inaugurate the
Festival of India.
Mr Krishna's visit will be a precursor for President Pratibha Devisingh Patil's trip to
China later this year.
// BOX 1 //
Six Commandments
- further enhance mutual trust
- upgrade the level of economic cooperation
- expand people-to-people exchanges
- strengthen cooperation in multilateral forum
- properly address each other's concerns
- properly handle the public opinion
Panchsheel (signed in 1954)
- mutual respect for each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty
- mutual non-aggression
- mutual non-interference in each other's internal affairs
- equality and mutual benefit
- peaceful co-existence
// BOX 2 //
President Pratibha Devisingh Patil, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and External Affairs
Minister SM Krishna conveyed their warm greetings and good wishes to the leadership
and people of China on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of
diplomatic relations between the two countries.
President Patil, in her letter to Chinese President Hu Jintao, said that bilateral relations
have gained in strength and momentum and have assumed global and strategic
dimensions as a result of efforts by the two sides.
In his message to Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said
India-China relations have achieved a high level of maturity and he looked forward to
working with Mr Wen to harness the potential for the further expansion of bilateral ties.
In his communication to Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, External Affairs Minister SM
Krishna said India and China are rapidly developing countries which share the objective
of improving the living standards of our people.
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