Bilateral cooperation should not harm third party: China on Modi-Trump meeting

Beijing: In a guarded reaction to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump’s meeting, Beijing on Friday said China should not be made an issue in their bilateral cooperation, and it should not harm the interests of a third country.

Keeping a wary watch on the Modi-Trump talks in Washington covering a range of issues, including firming up defence cooperation besides reaffirming that a close partnership between the US and India is central to a free, open, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Asia-Pacific is a hub for peaceful development not an arena for geopolitical rivalry.

China believes that relations and cooperation between countries should not make an issue of China or harm other’s interests and it should be conducive to peace, stability and prosperity, Guo said replying to a question.

Ganging up to form exclusive groups and engaging in bloc politics and bloc confrontation will not bring about security and can, by no means, keep the Asia-Pacific and the whole world peaceful and stable, he said.

The joint statement issued after Modi-Trump talks on Thursday (early Friday India time) said the two countries have agreed to advance India-US defence ties and launched a new initiative – the ‘US-India COMPACT’ (Catalyzing Opportunities for Military Partnership, Accelerated Commerce & Technology) for the 21st Century.

The two leaders also reaffirmed that a close partnership between the US and India is central to a free, open, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region and spoke of strengthening Quad partnership among other issues.

India is a member of Quad alliance, which includes the US, Japan and Australia. China is wary of Quad and asserts that the alliance is aimed at containing its rise.

Soon after Trump assumed office, the Foreign Ministers of Quad met on January 22 and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening a Free and Open Indo-Pacific where the rule of law, democratic values, sovereignty, and territorial integrity are upheld and defended.

The Indo-Pacific, which includes the South China Sea on which China lays its claim for most part while Vietnam, The Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have counterclaims over the area.

Prime Minister Modi’s meeting with Trump weeks after the US President assumed office for his second term has evoked considerable interest in China, especially the outcome in the arena of defence cooperation between New Delhi and Washington.