Early resolution of boundary question, water issue key to improved Sino-India ties:PM

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday said that the basis for continued growth and expansion of ties between India and China is peace and tranquility on borders separating the two countries.

In a statement delivered at a joint media interaction that followed delegation-level talks between the two countries, Dr. Singh said that during his talks with Premier Li, he had emphasized on the need for an early resolution of the boundary question, and added that Premier Li and he agreed that this effort must continue to be preserved.

Referring to the recent incursion of Chinese troops in the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir, the Prime Minister said that Premier Li and he admitted that there were problems with regard to this, and efforts would be made by the Special Representatives of the two countries to address the issue and come up with solutions acceptable to the two governments and their respective leaderships.

"We also took stock of lessons learnt from the recent incident in the Western Sector, when existing mechanisms proved their worth. We tasked our Special Representatives to consider further measures that may be needed to maintain peace and tranquility along the border. We agreed that our Special Representatives will meet soon to continue discussions, seeking early agreement on a framework for a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable boundary settlement," Dr. Singh said.

The Prime Minister also said that he had taken up the issue of China building dams on its side of the Brahmaputra River, adding that India's concerns on riparian water movement and sharing were presented.

"I also reiterated to Premier Li India's concerns about the effects on lower riparians of activities in the upper reaches of our shared rivers. It would be useful for the mandate of our Expert Level Mechanism to be expanded to include information sharing on upstream development projects on these rivers. I am glad that we have agreed to expand cooperation on trans-border rivers. It would also be useful for India and China to collaborate on a better understanding of the stresses on our shared Himalayan ecosystem," Prime Minister Singh said.

Dr. Singh said that he was satisfied with the wide-ranging and candid discussions that he had hhad with Premier Li Keqiang, which covered all matters of mutual interest and concern.

"I am delighted that there are so many areas of convergence between us and on which there is a great deal of meeting of minds. Most importantly, we agreed that the relationship between our two countries is of growing significance and essential for our peaceful development and sustained economic growth, as well as for stability and prosperity in our region and the world," he said.

Describing India and China as two civilizational neighbours, he said, that recent differences notwithstanding, the two countries "have steadily built a mutually beneficial relationship."

"We agreed that both sides must work to strengthen greater trust and confidence, which, in turn, will permit much larger co-operation," he added.

Dr. Singh further said that economic cooperation constituted a very important part of the bilateral relationship and for the growth potential of the two economies.

"There are many ongoing areas of co-operation that we will carry forward as outlined in the joint statement. I conveyed to Premier Li our concerns about the trade deficit and sought increased market access to China for our exports and investments. I also invited increased Chinese involvement in the vast opportunities in our infrastructure and manufacturing sectors," the Prime Minister said.

"The rapid development of our economies has opened up new opportunities for economic cooperation bilaterally, in our region and globally, which our Strategic Economic Dialogue will identify and explore. We have also discussed the possibility of infrastructure development to link India's North Eastern region with Bangladesh, Myanmar, China and other countries in the South East Asian region," he added.

Dr. Singh said that Premier Li and he also used the opportunity to review the rapidly evolving global political and economic situation and resolved to strengthen bilateral strategic communication and dialogue on these issues.

"We also agreed that we have a shared interest in an open multilateral trading system and in combating protectionism," he said.