New Delhi, September 19 – Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday unequivocally flagged India’s concerns about the simmering border dispute with China during talks with visiting President Xi Jinping, saying the resolution of the issue could drive economic cooperation and help the two countries make the 21st century an era dominated by Asian powers.
Xi’s visit, only the third by a Chinese President to India, was overshadowed by a faceoff between Indian and Chinese troops in Chumar area and an intrusion by Chinese civilians at Demchok along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
Government sources said India’s top leadership raised the border issue with Xi at least three times-Modi brought up the matter after a private dinner in Ahmedabad on Wednesday night, and again during oneto-one talks at Hyderabad House on Thursday, while External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj discussed it when she called on Xi on Thursday morning.
By late on Wednesday, Chinese troops were reported as having moved back from the Chumar flashpoint, but there was no similar word about the Demchok intrusion. Modi told Xi in “unambiguous and unequivocal terms” the impasse on the border has to be resolved, sources said.
The Prime Minister said that at a time when the world community was talking about an Asian Century and looking to India and China for solutions, the two countries could not allow their ties to be hit by the border issue, the sources said. A “disproportionate amount of time” was spent discussing the border issue, a source said.
India’s border concerns figured in the official statement made by Modi after the two leaders witnessed the signing of a dozen agreements and MoUs for cooperation in areas ranging from railways to joint production of films.
“I raised our serious concern over repeated incidents along the border. We agreed that peace and tranquillity in the border region constitutes an essential foundation for mutual trust and confidence and for realising the full potential of our relationship.
This is an important understanding, which should be strictly observed,” Modi said after talks with Xi that lasted nearly three hours. Noting that border-related agreements and confidence-building measures had worked well, Modi suggested that “clarification of the LAC would greatly contribute to our efforts to maintain peace and tranquillity”. He said he had requested Xi to “resume the stalled process of clarifying the LAC”.
“We should also seek an early settlement of the boundary question,” he said. Modi added that “a climate of mutual trust and confidence; respect for each other’s sensitivities and concerns; and, peace and stability in our relations and along our borders are essential for us to realise the enormous potential in our relations”.
Xi explained the situation by saying there might sometimes be “certain incidents” since the border is yet to be demarcated. But the two sides are fully capable of prompt action to effectively manage the situation through borderrelated mechanisms so that such incidents do not impact bilateral ties, he said.
He said China is determined to work through friendly consultations to settle the boundary question. Xi further said the two sides agreed to be respectful of and sensitive to each other’s concerns and handle outstanding issues with a positive attitude.
“There are certain other outstanding issues between the two countries. The two sides should work actively and seriously to address and handle them in the same spirit of seeking an amicable relationship,” he said.
Experts said the two countries should not allow their differences on the border issue to come in the way of greater economic cooperation. “Why should we get stuck on one issue like the border intrusions? This should not hold up progress elsewhere,” said former RAW chief A S Dulat.
“There is no reason for not moving forward with China. We should and we must do business with China,” Dulat told Mail Today. Addressing an event organised by the Indian Council of World Affairs later, Xi said a strong China is not a threat to any country even as he sought a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution to the boundary issue at an early date.
While some believe a stronger China is bound to seek hegemony and poses a threat to other countries, Xi said he wanted to make it clear that his country is committed to peaceful development.
Besides the border issue, Modi discussed India’s concerns about China’s visa policy and trans-border rivers like the Brahmaputra. “I am confident that their early resolution would take mutual trust to a new level,” he said.
Modi said the two sides would begin discussions on civil nuclear energy cooperation that will bolster broader cooperation on energy security. The Prime Minister also said the two sides had decided to deepen engagement at all levels and hold regular summit-level meetings. He expressed concern at the slowdown in trade and worsening trade imbalance.
-INDIA TODAY
