NEW DELHI, 25 January 2005 — Two Asian giants India and China yesterday added a strategic dimension to their growing, multifaceted ties by agreeing on a framework for “strategic and long-term relationship”.
The two countries held their first strategic dialogue here and after nearly five hours of discussions agreed to institutionalize the process. The next meeting under the mechanism will be held in Beijing at a mutually convenient date.
“Launching of the new dialogue mechanism indicates the resolve of the two countries to take bilateral engagements into a long-term and strategic relationship,” External Affairs Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna told reporters after the talks.
Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran led the Indian delegation to the talks at the Hyderabad House and Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei headed the Chinese team.
Sarna said the discussions, which covered regional and global issues, showed a broad convergence of views.
“Both briefed each other on their respective foreign and security policies,” he said.
There was substantive discussions on bilateral relations, including the planned visit of Premier Wen Jiabao “later this year” and both sides agreed to work closely for the success of the visit, which they agreed would signal a new phase in bilateral ties.
Sarna said both sides were “satisfied” with the dialogue and felt that it had helped enhance mutual trust and understanding.
He declined to go into the issues that were discussed but informed sources said subjects like international terrorism, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, North Korea, nuclear non-proliferation and UN reforms figured in the talks.
The developments, particularly in North Korea and Iran, are seen by both countries as having an important bearing on the security and stability of Asia.
While there has been enhanced high-level interaction between the two countries in recent years, this is the first time that the tag of “strategic dialogue” is being attached to their meeting.
The Chinese minister called on External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh in the evening.
Asked if Pakistan figured in the talks, the spokesman said: “Our relationship with China is a bilateral relationship and we have a fair amount to discuss.”
He said the strategic dialogue was a new mechanism and different from the talks between the special representatives appointed by the two governments to help resolve the protracted boundary dispute.
Official sources noted that following the death of National Security Adviser J.N. Dixit on Jan 3, the government was yet to nominate a special representative in his place for the boundary talks with China.
Both countries have agreed to set aside the boundary issue while focusing on developing understanding and cooperation in other important areas such as trade and commercial ties.
The move has already paid dividends and helped boost bilateral trade that now stands at nearly $13 billion a year.
Indian analysts have welcomed the launch of the strategic dialogue between the two most populous nations of the world that have so far been seen as competitors in crucial fields — trade and attracting global investments.
China’s gross domestic product growth is forecast at around 8.5 percent for the current financial year while India’s growth is expected to hover between 6.0 and 6.5 percent by March-end.
The significance of the New Delhi dialogue is also being viewed in the wake of recent parleys between India, Russia and China.
Foreign ministers of the three countries have been meeting on the sidelines of regional summits, especially the United Nations general assembly, over the past few years.
The meetings began after Russian President Vladimir Putin floated the idea of a “Russia-China-India” axis. Though officially the countries deny that an axis is being formed, the meetings are viewed by analysts as aiming toward that goal.
“At a time when unilateralist tendencies in global politics have been strengthened, these meetings have been perceived as being significant in themselves given the fact that three major powers like China, India and Russia are involved,” said Amit Baruah, lead foreign policy writer in the Hindu daily.
