The Hindu : India, China making new beginning in ties: Fernandes

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jun 24, 2003

National

National

India, China making new beginning in ties: Fernandes

By Our Special Correspondent

AHMEDABAD JUNE 23. The Defence Minister, George Fernandes, today indicated that both India and China were ready to make a new beginning in mutual relations forgetting the past.

Talking to presspersons here during his visit to inaugurate a national unity conference organised by the Samata Party, Mr. Fernandes said the two neighbours had relations for over 2,000 years. "For more than 99.9 per cent of the period, India and China shared good relations. It was only about 0.1 per cent of the time that the relations between the two had soured,'' he said.

Recalling his recent visit to China, Mr. Fernandes said that it was better that the two countries forget the "0.1 per cent period''. Without referring to the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee's current visit to China, he said during his visit he was told about China's internal problems, including the growing unemployment and regional imbalance.

But both the countries were ready to make a fresh start with mutual trust and friendship, he said.

About Iraq, Mr. Fernandes said that India was yet to take a decision on sending its troops to Iraq though the Prime Minister had been authorised to take a final decision.

Pointing out that some of the NDA partners were opposed to sending troops to Iraq, he said the final decision would depend on many factors, including inputs from the Indian Ambassador to Iraq about the opinion of the Iraqi people on the issue.

The Defence Minister said many of the questions put by India to the Pentagon team that visited New Delhi last week had remained unanswered and a final decision would also depend on what answer India received.

He said the Government would try to develop a national consensus through all-party meetings on the issue.

He disagreed with claims that infiltration across the India-Pakistan border had decreased. It was still continuing, he said.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National