By Arvind Padmanabhan
IANS
Berlin : Despite some recent remarks by Beijing, the contentious issue of Arunachal Pradesh did not figure in the talks between Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chinese President Hu Jintao here Thursday. Manmohan Singh, in fact, lauded China as India's "greatest neighbour".
The two leaders also felt the stage had been set for intensifying their economic and strategic ties and expressed satisfaction that the two-way trade had grown 56.8 percent during the first four months of this year to top $11.4 billion.
Manmohan Singh had called on Hu on the margins of the Group of Eight G-8 Summit where the two leaders reviewed a wide range of issues and expressed optimism that the bilateral trade target of $40 billion by 2010 will be achieved, officials said.
China and India are among the five emerging powers who are invited to attend the G8 summit as outreach partners. The influential group includes Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the US.
Briefing the media delegation accompanying the prime minister later, Indian Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon said the border issue came up only in the context of the "guiding principles" laid down by the two sides to seek a resolution.
"We hope that the special representatives can do their work and find a framework for an early solution," Menon said, and referred to the parameters set during Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's visit to India in 2005.
"The fact that both leaders want the special representatives to continue their work to produce a framework that is mutually acceptable, that itself tells you that they like what they are doing, they like the fact they are working hard and want them to continue."
Asked if the specific issue of the northeast Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, in the light of Chinese officials saying it is a part of their country's territory, was raised by Manmohan Singh, Menon replied with an emphatic "no".
"It is part of the boundary issue and it is an issue we are discussing. It is not something which we didn't know existed. The special representatives will deal with it. In today's context neither side brought it up," he added.
The latest statement by the Chinese foreign minister that just because some areas of Arunachal Pradesh were populated will not affect Beijing's claim on the northeastern state has surprised India.
Menon, nevertheless, said India-China relations were on track, as measured in the context of the 10-point strategy the two sides had stitched up during President Hu's visit to India last November.
He said the Chinese president renewed his invitation to the prime minister, who said he was looking forward to visiting Beijing, sometime in October. The two countries had declared 2007 as the year of India-China cooperation.
In his opening remarks during the meeting with Hu, the prime minister said their strategic ties were was making progress. "Our 10-point programme has helped give new substance and meaning to our cooperative partnership," he said.
"Our government, and I speak for all the people, regardless of their political affiliations, want the strongest relationship with China. China is our greatest neighbour," Manmohan Singh said.
"It has been and it will be a constant endeavour of my government to do everything in our power to cement our relationship."
The prime minister said Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar is leading a 100-member strong delegation of bright Indian youth to China to help them understand the neighbouring country better.
The youth have been drawn from various categories and include China scholars, entrepreneurs, sportspersons, cultural artists as well as local government leaders.
In his remarks, Hu praised Manmohan Singh for his leadership in taking the bilateral relations between the two countries to greater heights, and said it had led to "better understanding between the two countries".
"President Hu, in fact, mentioned that China-India relations have reached the state of fast-track growth," Menon said.