JOIN USWen echoes Singh's view on common development
Agreeing with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s oft-repeated statement, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said: “on top of our remarks, I add that there is enough space in the world for India and China to have cooperation.”
The two leaders, while going through the entire range of relationship taking the “larger strategic view,” also discussed the economic aspect of the ties in the backdrop of concerns in India over the big trade imbalance in favour of China.
Noting that the two countries had “viewed and handled” their bilateral relations with a “strong sense of history,” Wen said India and China have stayed in touch and worked together to build a stable and steady growth in ties.
Singh used the occasion to praise the Chinese leader.”You are the architect of Strategic Cooperative Partnership which both the countries signed during your first visit to India in 2005. Our relations have evolved satisfactorily. We are very satisfied with growth of trade and economic relations between India and China,” he told Wen.
On the boundary dispute, both the leaders said they looked forward to early resolution of the issue and asked their Special Representatives to deal with the subject with a sense of urgency.
The Special Representatives will meet in Beijing by November-end for the 14th round of talks. The last meeting was held in New Delhi in August last year.
“Both mentioned the need to carry the process forward from Guiding Principles and Political Parameters signed in 2005. Both said they will ask Special Representatives to do so with a sense of urgency,” Menon said.
In the meantime, they agreed that pending the settlement, the two countries will maintain peace and tranquillity on the border.
“They have given new impetus to the process, between Special Representatives and officials, to work through the issues and have given clear direction on how they want this to be handled,” the NSA said.
From the Indian side, the delegation at the meeting included Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma, Menon and Secretary (East) in Ministry of External Affairs Latha Reddy.