INDO-CHINA FRIENDSHIP TO PROMOTE PEACE & STABILITY IN ASIA AND
THE WORLD : PANT
The co-operation
and friendship between India and China is a powerful and enduring
factor in promoting peace and stability in Asia and the World
as the two largest and most populous countries are strategically
placed to influence the course of events in the region over the
next few decades, this was stated by Deputy Chairman, Planning
Commission Shri KC Pant delivering the key note address at an
interactive session on "Prime Minister’s China Visit &
Indo-China Relations" organised by Delhi Study Group here
today.
Shri Pant said Shri
Vajpayee’s China visit from 22nd June signifies the
importance India attaches to its relations with China. The PM
is a senior public figure who has had a ring-side view of the
ups and downs of India’s relations with China in the last five
decades and more. Over the years he has emerged as a statesman
who has the courage to break new ground to enlarge areas of understanding
and co-operation, as a visionary who does not allow the present
to become hostage to the past, and as a strategist who has the
confidence to grasp the opportunities thrown up by an ever-changing
international scenario without sacrificing the essential interests
of India. This image of the PM’s personality has added to the
significance of, and interest in, the visit.
Recalling historical
cultural ties between the countries, Shri Pant said establishment
of a stable and constructive relationship between India and China
based on peace and tranquillity across the borders is in the mutual
interest of both countries. Both the countries provide unending
opportunities for trade, investment and rapid economic growth.
India’s economic relations with China have steadily developed
during the 1990s. In the early 1990s the bilateral trade turnover
was about $300 million. This has risen to nearly $ 5 billion by
2002 registering an average annual growth rate of 32%, much faster
than the growth rate of either China’s trade or India’s trade.
With this kind of growth rate the US$ 10 billion target for bilateral
trade turnover set by Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji during his visit
to India in January 2002 is likely to be achieved easily in the
next couple of years. China is potentially a large market for
Indian companies to explore, especially with its accession to
WTO and tariff barriers coming down. But there is a need to some
mechanism for trade facilitation and addressing non-tariff barriers
between the countries. For instance, Indian exports of fish and
seafoods to China have declined because of imposition of higher
bacteriogical standards by the Chinese. The potential and feasibility
of a framework for liberalizing bilateral trade and investment
needs to be studied, especially since both China and India have
offered to have such an arrangement with ASEAN, Shri Pant added.
He expressed hope that the high-level delegation of Indian Business
and Industry visiting China with PM, and PM’s scheduled address
at joint India-China Business Meeting in Beijing would prove an
important forum to discuss some of these issues.
Commenting on Sino-Indian
concern on security issues Shri Pant said repeated rounds of dialogue
have proved that the both the countries have high degree of commonality
in their perceptions with regard to various aspect of international
security but India is still concerned about China’s deep and sustained
military relationship with Pakistan, the most serious aspect of
which is in the area of nuclear and missile co-operation. Inspite
of that the task before us is to minimize the areas of discord
and maximize the areas of co-operation, Shri Pant said.
