FM Spokesman: Vajpayee's Visit Successful

Home>>Opinion

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, June 25, 2003

FM Spokesman: Vajpayee's Visit Successful

DISCUSSION

CHINESE

SEND TO FRIEND

The Chinese government attaches great importance to Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's visit and has already deemed it "successful" and "significant to China-India relations", even though it has just begun.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan made the remarks at a regular press conference Tuesday.

Kong also commented on the newly-signed declaration on the principles for relations and comprehensive cooperation between China and India as "positive, mutually-beneficial, balanced and a win-win situation".

The declaration means a great deal, not only in terms of the current development of the two nations, but also to their long-term development and to the stability, prosperity and development of South Asia, he said.

The declaration, signed by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Vajpayee Monday evening, set out the goals and guiding principles for bilateral relations and outlined cooperation of the two countries in various fields.

The significance of the declaration lies in its retrospection of over 2000 years of friendly exchanges between the two peoples and of the more than 50 years of development of bilateral relations, and in its comments on the positive momentum of bilateral trade and economic cooperation in recent years, Kong said, adding that China-India relations have been progressing in spite of setbacks.

More importantly, the declaration establishes a comprehensive framework for the further development of bilateral ties in the fields of politics, trade and economics, culture, science and technology, education and the military.

The introductory clause of the declaration states that the two sides share mutual desire and interests in developing good neighborly relations and are determined to take full advantage of the substantial potential to expand cooperation, he said.

The two leaders recognize that developing mutually beneficial relations is conducive to the development of the two nations' economies and societies and is also favorable to cooperation and stability in Asia, the world's multipolarization, and the utilization of favorable factors created by economic globalization, he said.

China and India have a great deal in common in terms of their histories, their current situations and their future development. Both are developing nations with long histories and large populations, and both are facing the tasks faced by all developing economies, Kong said.

It is thus their responsibility to develop good neighborly relations and cooperation and to complement each other in economic and other areas in order to promote common development and peace, stability and prosperity in Asia and South Asia, he said.

In the declaration, the Indian government has, for the first time, explicitly recognized that the Tibet Autonomous Region is part of China's territory and has reiterated its prohibition of any anti-China activity on its territory by Tibetans.

Kong regarded this as an "important" and "positive" declaration from the Indian government that is conducive to the comprehensive development of bilateral relations.

China and India jointly advocated the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence 50 years ago, including its core principle of "non-interference in each other's internal affairs", Kong said, noting that it is natural for India to prohibit political activities potential harmful to China.

The two sides also signed a memorandum on the promotion of cross-border trade on Monday. Kong said the memorandum is important for the advancement of bilateral trade.

Total trade volume between China and India reached nearly 5 billion US dollars in 2002, and that for the first five months of 2003 increased by 70 percent year-on-year, Kong said.

The growth rate is quite fast, he said, but far from adequate, considering the complementary and potential of the two economies.

Questions?Comments? Click here

China, India Agree to Address Differences Peacefully

China, India Sign Declaration on Bilateral Ties

China, India Sign Memorandum on Science Cooperation

News Analysis: Iran, Next US Target? ( 2 Messages)

Five Major Problems in China's Income Distribution ( 3 Messages)

China Adopts Draft Regulation on Vagrants ( 4 Messages)

Democracy in Iraq, through Ballot or Bullet? ( 7 Messages)

China-made HDTVs Sold to US Army ( 3 Messages)

Chinese Girl Granted US "President Scholarship Prize" ( 2 Messages)