China gives hope to PM

Singh optimistic about better ties with China and Pakistan

Giving a sense of the meeting with Hu on Wednesday in Sanya, China, Singh said they had talked about a wide-range of issues, including trade imbalance. He said the Chinese President had agreed that his country too had a “responsibility” to deal with the problem.

“It was a very cordial meeting. We discussed bilateral issues and trade imbalance. We also discussed other relevant issues to international situation and possibility of cooperation between our two countries in international fora like G-20, WTO and UN Security Council,” he told accompanying journalists while returning from a five-day two-nation tour of China and Kazakhstan.

Singh and Hu met on the sidelines of the Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS) Summit and among its significant outcomes were the decision to send a high-level Indian military delegation to China and setting up of a new mechanism for managing peace on the borders.

With regard to defence exchanges which are set to be resumed after a pause of about nine months, Singh said, “my expectation is that they will be continued.”
India had suspended high-level defence exchanges in July 2010  after China refused proper visa to the then Northern Army Commander Lt Gen B S Jaswal as he was serving in Jammu and Kashmir.

This was seen by India as questioning its sovereignty. About the new mechanism for border management, Singh said it was a Chinese proposal made during the visit of Premier Wen Jiabao to New Delhi in December last.

On Pakistan

The Prime Minister also said that if he succeeded in the endeavour to normalise relations with Pakistan then he would consider it a job well done.

Manmohanspeak

* Hopes for concrete results on new border management mechanism with China
* High-level Indian military delegation to visit China to discuss mechanism for peace on borders
* Trade imbalance with China a “problem” acknow-ledged by Chinese President
* India wants greater access to Chinese pharma and IT industry
* If I succeed in improving Indo-Pak relationship, it will be a “job well done”