China hopes Jaswant will promote trust

BEIJING, MARCH 19. China today expressed hope that the External Affairs Minister, Mr. Jaswant Singh, who has been given additional charge of the Defence Ministry, would work hard to promote understanding and trust between the two countries and militaries so as to further bilateral relations.

``We congratulate Mr. Jaswant Singh on his joint appointment as Defence Minister,'' the Foreign Ministry spokesman, Mr. Zhu Bangzao, said adding ``Mr. Singh is an experienced politician.''

``We hope and believe that during his term as Defence Minister, Mr. Singh will advance the understanding and trust between our two countries and military and continue to work hard to further the development of Sino-Indian relations,'' Mr. Zhu said.

``He has done work which has helped the improvement and development of Sino-Indian ties,'' Mr. Zhu said referring to Singh's ice-breaking visit to Beijing in June, 1999 which helped thaw the near freeze in India-China relations after the Pokhran- II tests by India. During Mr. Singh's visit, India and China reiterated that ``neither country is a threat to the other''.

- PTI

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