<http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/12/international/asia/12india.html?th=&emc=th&pagewanted=print&position=>
The New York Times April 12, 2005 India and China Agree to Resolve Decades of Border Disputes By SOMINI SENGUPTA EW DELHI, April 11 - China and India agreed Monday to resolve a decades-old border dispute and let trade flourish between the countries. Promising a new era of "peace and prosperity" between the world's two most populous countries, the announcement came during a four-day visit to India by Prime Minister Wen Jiabao of China. It signaled an end to a protracted dispute over several patches along the 2,200-mile border between the countries, stretching from Kashmir to Myanmar. China defeated India in a war over territory in 1962, and relations have been fraught for four decades. The two countries have reached "a certain level of maturity," India's foreign secretary, Shyam Saran, said at a news conference here. "India and China are partners, and they are not rivals," he added. "We do not look upon each other as adversaries." The announcement did not spell out which territory would go to which country, but the two countries did agree to come up with a plan to resolve disputes over frontier territory. Each side has troops along the border, but there have not been any recent skirmishes. Despite the border dispute, relations between India and China - both nuclear powers, both witnessing rapid economic growth, both facing an enormous demand for energy - have flourished in recent years, led primarily by trade. China is now India's second-largest trading partner, after the United States. On Monday Mr. Wen and his Indian counterpart, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, said the two countries expected to increase bilateral trade from $13 billion last year to at least $20 billion in 2008. Chinese-made toys, toasters and televisions have proliferated across the Indian marketplace. India exports raw materials for China's booming construction industry. "Aware of their linked destinies as neighbors and the two largest countries of Asia, both sides agreed that they would, together, contribute to the establishment of an atmosphere of mutual understanding, trust and cooperation in Asia and the world at large," read a joint statement. India reiterated in the statement that it believed Tibet to be a part of Chinese territory; Tibetans, led by the Dalai Lama, have clamored for independence for decades. China in turn has recognized Sikkim, a tiny Himalayan finger poking into Tibet, as Indian territory. Annexed by India 30 years ago, Sikkim had been represented as an independent country until recently. To drive the point home, Mr. Saran produced an official Chinese map showing Sikkim as part of India, "the same color wash as the rest of India." India declared that it had China's backing for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council - arguably India'a principal foreign policy objective this year - but the joint statement was less than explicit. "China attaches great importance to the status of India in international affairs," the statement read. "It understands and supports India's aspirations to play an active role in the U.N. and international affairs." Beyond the delicately worded statement and a brief appearance by Mr. Wen, the Chinese delegation did not make itself available to journalists, making it impossible to clarify its position on India's effort to gain a permanent seat or anything else. Twelve separate agreements were signed during the visit, ranging from the border issues, to cooperation on filmmaking, to the export of Indian bitter gourds and grapes to China. India and China also agreed to expand flights between the countries, and to military exchanges to enhance "mutual trust" between their armed forces. They also agreed to engage in joint exploration for oil and gas in other countries. What India did not mention were agreements that China has made with India's neighbors and rivals, from building road links with Bangladesh to financing a deep-sea port in Pakistan. Senior Chinese officials also visited the king of Nepal, even after he ousted his government and declared emergency rule on Feb. 1, a move India strongly condemned. -- ----------------- R. A. Hettinga <mailto: [EMAIL PROTECTED]> The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation <http://www.ibuc.com/> 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA "... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity, [predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire' ------------------------ Yahoo! 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