January
12, 2008 India's Ties
with China Poised to Enter Vibrant Phase: Manmohan
New Delhi
India's ties with China are now poised to enter "a vibrant and
dynamic phase," which will in turn Contribute to global peace and
stability, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said here hours before
leaving for Beijing on a three-day visit.
As he flies to Beijing late Saturday night on his maiden visit to
the Chinese capital, Manmohan Singh said India attaches "high
priority to strengthening relations with China" and hoped that the
two countries can work closely on regional, multilateral and global
issues.
"China is our largest neighbor and also a focal point of our 'Look
East' policy. We attach high priority to strengthening our relations
with China," he said.
"Issues relating to the boundary and cooperation with regard to
trans-boundary rivers will be discussed," Manmohan Singh said here a
day before he holds talks with top Chinese leaders, including
Premier Wen Jiabao and President Hu Jintao.
The focus of his visit, the prime minister stressed, was to impart
"substantive content" to a strategic partnership between the two
countries by accelerated engagement in science and technology,
culture, education, defence and security and increasing
people-to-people contacts.
"I will be discussing how we can work more closely with China on
regional, multilateral and global issues," he said.
In a message aimed at the world community which will be closely
watching his visit to China, Manmohan Singh underlined the
relationship of cooperation and complementarity between the two
Asian powers which some see as rivals for regional and global
influence.
"Our bilateral relations are now poised to enter a vibrant and
dynamic phase, based on a common recognition that the growth and
development of both India and China will make positive and long term
contributions to regional and global peace, security and stability,"
he said.
"We share a desire to enhance our relationship both bilaterally and
at the global level," said Manmohan Singh while placing the
burgeoning India-China ties in the context of an evolving global
order.
"I look forward to my visit. It is my belief that regular summit
level interaction with China contributes to strengthening our
cooperative engagement and enhancing mutual trust and
understanding."
India will seek China's support in its quest for global civil
nuclear cooperation and stress on an early resolution of the border
dispute during Manmohan Singh's visit to Beijing.
In an interview to Xinhua News Agency Friday, Singh had stressed on
an early end to the decades-old border dispute that will give a big
push to steadily improving ties between the two Asian giants.
India-China relations, he added, "have today transcended their
bilateral dimension and have acquired global and strategic
significance".
India and China are expected to sign five agreements in fields as
diverse as land management, housing, traditional medicine, railways
and geosciences during Manmohan Singh's visit - the fifth visit by
an Indian prime minister to China since Jawaharlal Nehru went there
in 1954.
Boloji.com is owned and managed by Boloji Media Inc Privacy Policy |
Disclaimer
No part of this Internet site may
be reproduced without prior written permission of the copyright holder.
