HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --------------------------- Monday, January 14, 2002 12:34 PM
The Hindu We have no plan to broker Indo-Pak.
peace, says Zhu
By Atul Aneja
The Chinese premier, Zhu Rongii, with his wife, Lao An, at the Taj Mahal in Agra on Sunday. - AFP
NEW DELHI, JAN. 13. With the war against terrorism drawing the U.S. military forces close to its South and Central Asian borders, the Chinese Prime Minister, Zhu Rongji, arrived here this evening to explore possibilities of expanding political cooperation with India. Mr. Zhu, who first landed in Agra, said soon after his arrival here that China had no intention of brokering peace between India and Pakistan. Earlier in the day, the External Affairs Minister, Jaswant Singh, said at a press conference that ``China has neither any intention nor will it play any mediatory role between the two countries.'' Notwithstanding China's special ties with Pakistan, India was committed to improving relations with Beijing, Mr. Singh said. Highly-placed sources here say that Mr. Zhu's visit should be seen against the wider canvas of changing strategic equations in the region after the September 11 attacks in the U.S. Sources point out that the war against terrorism has not gone entirely in China's favour, despite the renewed spotlight on the Uyghur insurgency in its Xinjiang province. The war against terrorism has brought the U.S., with whom China's long term interests may clash, right at its doorstep. For instance, the U.S. has already established an air base in the tiny mountainous Central Asia republic of Kyrghyzstan, which shares a common border with China. The Americans have also moved closer to Uzbekistan. Besides, the Chinese, according to sources, appear to be uncomfortable with the U.S. military presence in Pakistan, its longstanding friendly neighbour. Reports here suggest that China is concerned about the possibility of the U.S. establishing a permanent military base in Jacobabad. ``It is possible that China senses that it is being hemmed in by the U.S. after September 11. It remains to be seen whether this will open the door for greater cooperation with India,'' highly-placed government sources here said. Not surprisingly, China, for the first time, has indicated that it may be ready to explore the possibility of trilateral cooperation with India and Russia as partners. ``The signal is there but not is as yet not very strong. We would obviously like to discuss what China has in mind.'' China had earlier rejected the concept of trilateral cooperation that was first mooted in India by the former Russian Prime Minister, Yevgeny Primakov. Sources, however, clarified that joint effort by three countries to address specific common concerns, such as terrorism, is possible only after a high degree of political confidence has been established. India and China, during Mr. Zhu's visit, may also like to give a political push to resolving their boundary dispute. Mr. Zhu's visit is likely to initiate the clarification of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the western sector. Sources acknowledge that China may show flexibility in the western sector, in case India is inclined to reconsider the status of Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh. As of now, India and China have eight areas of contention along their western frontier and six along the eastern border. The Chinese premier will hold talks with his counterpart, Atal Behari Vajpayee, on Monday. His visit is also expected to see an expansion of commercial ties, especially in the area of information technology, space and science and technology. Expressing optimism about the visit, Mr. Singh said that ``there will be significant forward movement in economic and political spheres'' during Mr. Zhu's visit.
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