The Hindu : India, China have candid exchange of views

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 14, 2004

International

International - India & World

India, China have candid exchange of views

By P. S. Suryanarayana

SINGAPORE, JAN. 13. India and China have agreed to sustain the ongoing dialogue with a "political perspective" on the boundary question.

India's Special Representative, Brajesh Mishra, and the designated Chinese Special Representative, Dai Bingguo, agreed to meet again, even as they concluded, in Beijing today, their second round of talks.

The in-camera parleys, which lasted two days, were a sequel to the first round that was held in New Delhi last October. They now agreed to convene the third round in New Delhi on mutually acceptable dates which would be decided upon through "diplomatic channels."

For the second straight day, neither side disclosed any specifics about the political direction of these sensitive discussions.

In the tone and tenor of the meetings, the Indian Embassy in Beijing said in a statement tonight that Mr. Mishra held talks with Mr. Dai in "a friendly and constructive atmosphere." Indicating that the second round was characterised by candid exchanges of views, the Chinese side said the talks were held in a "frank and friendly atmosphere."

A Chinese Foreign Ministry official, when contacted by The Hindu over the phone, outlined Beijing's view that the two Special Representatives had now held a "useful discussion on the guidelines and principles for solving the border question."

Mr. Mishra today called on the Chinese Prime Minister, Wen Jiabao, at the Great Hall of the People.

Without even hinting at the nature and scope of the important call, the Indian Embassy said "Mr. Mishra conveyed cordial greetings and best wishes to the Premier on behalf of the Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee." Mr. Wen "expressed his gratitude and requested Mr. Mishra to convey his sincere greetings to Prime Minister Vajpayee," the Indian mission noted, besides saying that Mr. Mishra met the Chinese Foreign Minister, Li Zhaoxing, too.

The brief Chinese account of Mr. Mishra's meeting with Mr. Wen echoed the Indian version about "warm'' exchange of greetings between the two Prime Ministers as conveyed through the Special Representative.

The two sides sought to maintain the confidentiality of these discussions, given that the two Prime Ministers had, at their summit in Beijing last June, agreed upon this high-level process to explore how best "the framework of a boundary settlement'' could be fashioned. Asked about such diplomacy of discretion, as it were, official sources drew attention to the distinctiveness of this relatively new process.

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India, China have candid exchange of views