M A I N   N E W S

60 years of bilateral ties
Delhi, Beijing to move closer
Ashok Tuteja/TNS

New Delhi, April 1
India and China today completed 60 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries, which have been marked by mutual mistrust over a plethora of issues, including the complex boundary row.

But in statements befitting the occasion, top leaders of both countries promised to deepen friendship, enhance mutual trust and cooperation between them to tackle various global challenges.

“Indo-China relations have achieved a high level of maturity that serves the interests of their people and the cause of peace, stability and progress in the region and the world,” PM Manmohan Singh said in his message to his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao.

India and China attained freedom in 1947 and 1949, respectively. Thanks to their mutual efforts, they established diplomatic relations quite early. This did help bolster relations between them. However, the 1962 border dispute changed it all. It was in December 1988 that the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi visited Beijing to mend fences with China after a long hiatus. Since then relations have grown by leaps and bounds but deep within the two countries have failed to bury the past.

Public outrage in India against China was quite palpable last year when Beijing laid claims over Arunachal Pradesh and objected to Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama’s visit to the northeastern state. Beijing also blocked a grant by the Asian Development Bank for Arunachal. On top of it, Chinese troops carried out incursions into the Indian territory at several places along the long border between the two countries. China also started issuing visas to Indian nationals from Jammu and Kashmir on separate sheets, virtually questioning the state’s accession to India.

Official sources said the two countries have in recent months agreed to put contentious issues on the backburner and concentrate on areas of convergence.

It is with this idea that External Affairs Minister SM Krishna will be traveling to Beijing on April 5. During his stay in Beijing, Krishna will flag off the celebrations to mark the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties. He will also formally inaugurate the Festival of India in China. President Pratibha Patil is also scheduled to travel to Beijing later this year.

Meanwhile, National Security Adviser Shiv Shankar Menon, while addressing a seminar to commemorate the 60th anniversary of India-China diplomatic relations, observed that the two countries have found a way to manage their differences over the ‘most complicated and difficult’ boundary dispute and decided not to allow it to stand in the way of expanding ties.

enon has been named as India’s special representative for talks with China on the boundary dispute.