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‘China, India should strive jointly for global progress’

By NNN-Bernama,

Beijing : China and India should make way for joint efforts to tackle the challenges for the developing world in the 21st century instead of keeping score against each other, Press Trust of India (PTI) quoted a prominent Chinese think tank as saying.

“Competition between the two should make way for joint efforts to tackle the challenges for the developing world in seeking common development,” Rong Ying, vice president of China Institute of International Studies, a think tank of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, as saying.

“India and China should tap their potential and strive for mutual benefits and more contributions to global progress and prosperity,” Rong wrote in an article titled ‘New Paradigm of Engagement’ ahead of Premier Wen Jiabao’s December 15-17 visit.

He said in today’s globalised world, “China and India’s relationships with a third party will never be completely independent of each other. The challenge for policymakers and the public in both countries is to ensure and shape the debate for steady and healthy development”.

“The two sides have been proactive in developing their relationship by establishing a strategic partnership for peace and prosperity, formulating a 10-pronged strategy, and signing a shared vision for the 21st century,” Rong wrote in China Daily.

“With this paradigm, China and India should be able to transcend the prism of geopolitics, turning vision into reality. Indeed, when China and India join hands, the world of the 21st century will be different,” he said.

He said Wen’s visit to India will have a “far reaching impact” on the bilateral ties heralding a “new paradigm of engagement”.

“Wen’s visit, primarily aimed at closing the China Festival celebrating the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and India, will have a far-reaching impact on the future course of the bilateral relationship,” he said.

“The trajectory of Sino-Indian interaction has generated growing interest and divergent views over the future course of the relationship. For optimists, the two fast-developing economies are poised to take over the world in the next two decades,” Rong said.

“Pessimists, however, argue that the two nations are bound to be rivals. Neither view captures the true nature of the complicated relationship, as both the optimists and pessimists have missed the full picture. The fact is that, for the first time in a century, the course of history will be defined by the interaction between the world’s two most populated countries,” he added.

Rong said while the West would like to play one against the other, China and India have been advocating a multi-polar world, envisioning a new international system that is open, balanced and inclusive.

Meanwhile, Indian Ambassador to China S Jaishankar said India-China relations stand on their own merit and have their own value.

“Independence has been the hallmark of our foreign policy,” he said, adding the two countries are engaging each other more broadly and positively than ever before.

“The economic relationship in particular is booming.on a broad range of economic issues, the benchmark for cooperation is being constantly raised as performance exceeds expectations,” Jaishankar said.

The two countries are currently planning events for next year focusing on the economy and people-to-people contacts.

“We hope to increase networking and promote awareness in China of the capabilities of Indian companies. Bilateral ties have developed very strongly in the last few years. We have identified a growing convergence of interest. Our differences have also been effectively managed,” Jaishankar said.

He also pointed out that there are still some historical issues left that are being addressed, and there are also more contemporary issues arising from the growing relationship, such as a large trade imbalance.

“I do believe that we can work through these issues and find mutually acceptable solutions,” he said adding that both nations must appreciate the complexity of the border issue.

“What is important is that we have reached agreements on maintaining peace and tranquillity and enhancing confidence building measure,” he said.