Sino-Indian ties look up

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Sino-Indian ties look up

 

 

By Our Special Correspondent

 

NEW DELHI, NOV. 24. India today announced a forward movement in Sino-

Indian relations with both countries exchanging maps for the first

time ever on the 545-kilometre long Line of Actual Control (LAC) in

the middle sector.

 

Winding up a discussion in the Rajya Sabha on the international

situation, the External Affairs Minister, Mr. Jaswant Singh, informed

the House of the `significant' development.

 

He said both sides now have delineated maps on an agreed scale in the

mid-sector starting from Himachal Pradesh to a tri-junction on India,

China and Nepal in Uttaranchal.

 

The next step would be to compare the maps and identify the

differences on the LAC and a similar exercise would be later carried

out on the Western and Eastern sector of the Sino-Indian border.

 

The formal exchange of maps took place at the eighth meeting of Sino-

Indian expert group held in Beijing earlier this month. In a

communication to his Chinese counterpart in May, Mr. Singh had

suggested that the clarification of LAC could be completed in a time-

bound manner by end of next year.

 

He said that the Sino-Indian border had been largely peaceful and New

Delhi was looking forward to improving relations.

 

In an hour-long reply to the discussion, he initiated Mr. Jaswant

Singh, reiterated that India was willing to talk to Pakistan provided

the environment was conducive free of violence, tension, cross-border

terrorism and killings.

 

He said New Delhi was not willing to concede that violence could be

used as an instrument of negotiation or as a `pre-dialogue

negotiating tactic'. The Minister said he would appeal to Pakistan to

come to terms with `history and geography'.

 

Referring to the observation by the Congress on the decision to go

nuclear and the stand on the CTBT, Mr. Singh said the Pokhran- II

tests were conducted to strike a balance between demands of

`realpolitik' and disarmament.

 

On the question whether the tests conducted in May, 1998 were

adequate, he said that while differences in scientific community on

the yield were common, India had placed a voluntary moratorium on

conducting further tests but the inherent right to do so was `not

foreclosed or foregone'. He also reiterated India would not come in

the way of implementing the CTBT.

 

 

The upswing in Indo-U.S. relations which resulted in both countries

signing a ``Vision Statement'' was to ensure predictability and

stability in New Delhi-Washington ties. In the same breath, he said,

the signing of the document on Strategic Partnership between India

and Russia was `not a small achievement' either.

 

Denying a change in approach to West Asia, he said India was

committed to the Palestinian cause and described sanctions against

Iraq as `unjust and unwise'.

 

Similarly relations between India and the European Union and Japan,

which witnessed a dip after May, 1998, had improved. The proposed

visit of three Ministers from Africa

 

to New Delhi was an indicator of strength of relations with nations

in that Continent.

 

Mr. Singh said it was `unfair' to state that India had ignored

regional groupings. The SAARC was moving on technical and official

levels and referred to the thrust on development through economic

cooperation in the neighbourhood and South East Asia.

 

On Sri Lanka, he said that while New Delhi stood committed to

territorial integrity of the Island nation, it hoped Colombo would

also meet the aspirations of all people. He ruled out military

support to Sri Lanka.

 

Turning to expansion of U.N. Security Council (UNSC), Mr. Singh said

interestingly India was among the three nations which many felt in

the U.N. could be included in the expanded UNSC with Japan and

Germany being the other two.