01-06-2004, 12:53 AM
Brajesh on border mission to Beijing
New Delhi, Jan. 4: The Prime Ministerâs principal secretary and national security adviser, Brajesh Mishra, will travel to China to hold talks on bilateral and regional developments on January 12 and 13.
<b>The reason cited for his visit is that he needs to carry forward talks on the decades-old border dispute. Mishra and Chinese senior vice-foreign minister Dai Bing Guo have been appointed âspecial representativesâ by their respective countries to try and find a political solution to the boundary dispute. </b>
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The Chinese have dubbed the talks as âcrucialâ as they will allow India the chance to air its views on the dispute. China put across its own argument during Daiâs visit here in October. Mishra will also get to brief the Chinese leadership on Vajpayeeâs Pakistan trip</b>.
Beijingâs close ties with Islamabad have traditionally been a sticking point in Sino-Indian relations. Delhi has been none too happy at the help China has given Pakistan in its nuclear and missile programmes and has often sought to discuss this close military cooperation during bilateral meetings.
But Delhiâs stand has changed somewhat of late. Aware that China is keen to build bridges, India has signalled that it is ready to do likewise; it feels both Asian giants can play an important role on the world stage.
Delhi-Beijing ties have reached such a level of maturity that Indiaâs growing proximity to the US and Chinaâs traditional ties with Pakistan no longer bother each other. India is getting round to thinking that China can use its close ties with Pakistan to convince it to drop its obsession with Kashmir to improve relations with Delhi.
China hopes to resolve the border dispute with India on the basis of continuity of policy, fairness, pragmatism and stability. Shorn of the jargon, Beijing wants Delhi to honour past commitments on the boundary issue and resolve the dispute in a spirit of give-and-take.
China is stressing on proposals that are practical and easy to implement. At the same time, it wants to ensure that the outcome of the border talks does not affect bilateral ties.
If the formula is implemented, China, which disputes more than 90,000 sq km in the eastern sector and India which quarrels over more than 30,000 sq km in the west, will both have to make major compromises to resolve the decades-old dispute.
It is not clear what formula Mishra will place before China and what the response will be. But if the Asian giants agree on the contours of a treaty to resolve the dispute, the leadership in both countries will have to prepare their people in advance so that they accept the compromise.
New Delhi, Jan. 4: The Prime Ministerâs principal secretary and national security adviser, Brajesh Mishra, will travel to China to hold talks on bilateral and regional developments on January 12 and 13.
<b>The reason cited for his visit is that he needs to carry forward talks on the decades-old border dispute. Mishra and Chinese senior vice-foreign minister Dai Bing Guo have been appointed âspecial representativesâ by their respective countries to try and find a political solution to the boundary dispute. </b>
<b>
The Chinese have dubbed the talks as âcrucialâ as they will allow India the chance to air its views on the dispute. China put across its own argument during Daiâs visit here in October. Mishra will also get to brief the Chinese leadership on Vajpayeeâs Pakistan trip</b>.
Beijingâs close ties with Islamabad have traditionally been a sticking point in Sino-Indian relations. Delhi has been none too happy at the help China has given Pakistan in its nuclear and missile programmes and has often sought to discuss this close military cooperation during bilateral meetings.
But Delhiâs stand has changed somewhat of late. Aware that China is keen to build bridges, India has signalled that it is ready to do likewise; it feels both Asian giants can play an important role on the world stage.
Delhi-Beijing ties have reached such a level of maturity that Indiaâs growing proximity to the US and Chinaâs traditional ties with Pakistan no longer bother each other. India is getting round to thinking that China can use its close ties with Pakistan to convince it to drop its obsession with Kashmir to improve relations with Delhi.
China hopes to resolve the border dispute with India on the basis of continuity of policy, fairness, pragmatism and stability. Shorn of the jargon, Beijing wants Delhi to honour past commitments on the boundary issue and resolve the dispute in a spirit of give-and-take.
China is stressing on proposals that are practical and easy to implement. At the same time, it wants to ensure that the outcome of the border talks does not affect bilateral ties.
If the formula is implemented, China, which disputes more than 90,000 sq km in the eastern sector and India which quarrels over more than 30,000 sq km in the west, will both have to make major compromises to resolve the decades-old dispute.
It is not clear what formula Mishra will place before China and what the response will be. But if the Asian giants agree on the contours of a treaty to resolve the dispute, the leadership in both countries will have to prepare their people in advance so that they accept the compromise.