03-15-2006, 06:07 AM
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
R E G I O N: âChina, India to usher in new Asian centuryâ
* Chinese prime minister hopes ties between the two countries will remain âvibrantâ in the future
BEIJING:China and India will usher in a ânew Asian century,â Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said on Tuesday, as he expressed hopes the worldâs two most populous countries would build on their improving relations.
âI have a belief, that is when China and India are truly strong enough to fully bring out their own spirit and style, then that will truly usher in a new Asian century,â Wen told a press conference shortly after the end of national legislatureâs annual session.
Wen played down concerns that China and India would become competitors when they became much stronger as they vied for foreign investment, energy and other scarce natural resources, as well as regional influence.
Wen recalled his successful visit to India last year, and said the two countries reached a strategic partnership for peace and prosperity, signed a political principle guiding the settlement of the border issue and worked out a five-year plan for China-India trade and economic development.
This year marks the year of friendship between China and India, Wen said, adding, âcultural exchanges will be high on the agenda.â âI hope by then our two countriesâ fraternal and friendly relations will still be vibrant... and remain dear to the hearts of the two Oriental nations,â Wen said.
China-India relations have improved in recent years as both countries have made efforts to complement instead of compete with each otherâs growth.
The two nations signed a landmark agreement in January to jointly secure energy security, rather than trying to outbid each other to secure reserves.
However the two countries still have not resolved a decades-old border dispute.
India says China occupies 38,000 square kilometres of Indian territory in Kashmir while Beijing claims 90,000 square kilometres of the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh.
The dispute led to a brief war in 1962.
A formal ceasefire line was never established after the war but the border has remained mostly peaceful. The two sides ended three-day talks on the boundary dispute this week without resolving the issue, although they agreed to continue the dialogue at an unspecified date. Agencies
R E G I O N: âChina, India to usher in new Asian centuryâ
* Chinese prime minister hopes ties between the two countries will remain âvibrantâ in the future
BEIJING:China and India will usher in a ânew Asian century,â Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said on Tuesday, as he expressed hopes the worldâs two most populous countries would build on their improving relations.
âI have a belief, that is when China and India are truly strong enough to fully bring out their own spirit and style, then that will truly usher in a new Asian century,â Wen told a press conference shortly after the end of national legislatureâs annual session.
Wen played down concerns that China and India would become competitors when they became much stronger as they vied for foreign investment, energy and other scarce natural resources, as well as regional influence.
Wen recalled his successful visit to India last year, and said the two countries reached a strategic partnership for peace and prosperity, signed a political principle guiding the settlement of the border issue and worked out a five-year plan for China-India trade and economic development.
This year marks the year of friendship between China and India, Wen said, adding, âcultural exchanges will be high on the agenda.â âI hope by then our two countriesâ fraternal and friendly relations will still be vibrant... and remain dear to the hearts of the two Oriental nations,â Wen said.
China-India relations have improved in recent years as both countries have made efforts to complement instead of compete with each otherâs growth.
The two nations signed a landmark agreement in January to jointly secure energy security, rather than trying to outbid each other to secure reserves.
However the two countries still have not resolved a decades-old border dispute.
India says China occupies 38,000 square kilometres of Indian territory in Kashmir while Beijing claims 90,000 square kilometres of the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh.
The dispute led to a brief war in 1962.
A formal ceasefire line was never established after the war but the border has remained mostly peaceful. The two sides ended three-day talks on the boundary dispute this week without resolving the issue, although they agreed to continue the dialogue at an unspecified date. Agencies