China’s president charts ‘new course’ for peace in South Asia

NEW DELH – Chinese President Hu Jintao declared yesterday his country was ready to play a “constructive role” for peace in South Asia and that he had made his trip to India to enhance “mutual trust”.

Hu, the first Chinese president to visit India in a decade, added in a keynote speech to top government officials he wanted to “chart a new course” for future strategic relations between the world’s two most populous nations. “China is ready to work with India,” Hu said on the third day of his four-day visit to India, stressing Beijing wanted harmonious relations with New Delhi.Ties between India and China have long been clouded by the legacy of a 1962 border war and Beijing’s economic and military support for India’s rival and neighbour, Pakistan.The improvement in Sino-Indian relations raised the possibility of an early settlement of a long-running boundary row that was a “strategic goal” of both countries, Hu added in New Delhi where he arrived late Monday.The Chinese leader also welcomed the “improvement in relations between India and Pakistan” which have fought three wars, two over the disputed region of Kashmir.Beijing was ready to play a “constructive role” for the promotion of peace in the region, Hu said, declaring “a peaceful and prosperous South Asia” was beneficial for both Asia and the world.Hu added his talks Tuesday with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other leaders in the Indian capital “had been fruitful”.His remarks came a day after the Chinese leader and Singh said they would speed up attempts to settle the frontier dispute which triggered the border war.New Delhi claims a large chunk of Chinese-administered territory in the disputed Kashmir while Beijing lays stake to Indian-administered Arunachal Pradesh.The leaders also announced Tuesday plans to double trade to 40 billion dollars in the next three years between the world’s two fastest-growing major economies.”Our development endeavours are not mutually exclusive,” Hu said.”Our economies are complementary, we can form synergy …to improve international competitiveness.”India and China have been increasingly in competition in recent years, as they expand their global influence and scramble for energy and mineral resources globally to feed their booming economies.Nampa-AFP”China is ready to work with India,” Hu said on the third day of his four-day visit to India, stressing Beijing wanted harmonious relations with New Delhi.Ties between India and China have long been clouded by the legacy of a 1962 border war and Beijing’s economic and military support for India’s rival and neighbour, Pakistan.The improvement in Sino-Indian relations raised the possibility of an early settlement of a long-running boundary row that was a “strategic goal” of both countries, Hu added in New Delhi where he arrived late Monday.The Chinese leader also welcomed the “improvement in relations between India and Pakistan” which have fought three wars, two over the disputed region of Kashmir.Beijing was ready to play a “constructive role” for the promotion of peace in the region, Hu said, declaring “a peaceful and prosperous South Asia” was beneficial for both Asia and the world.Hu added his talks Tuesday with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other leaders in the Indian capital “had been fruitful”.His remarks came a day after the Chinese leader and Singh said they would speed up attempts to settle the frontier dispute which triggered the border war.New Delhi claims a large chunk of Chinese-administered territory in the disputed Kashmir while Beijing lays stake to Indian-administered Arunachal Pradesh.The leaders also announced Tuesday plans to double trade to 40 billion dollars in the next three years between the world’s two fastest-growing major economies.”Our development endeavours are not mutually exclusive,” Hu said.”Our economies are complementary, we can form synergy …to improve international competitiveness.”India and China have been increasingly in competition in recent years, as they expand their global influence and scramble for energy and mineral resources globally to feed their booming economies.Nampa-AFP