The Hindu : International : China is no threat, says Wen

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Apr 07, 2005

International

International

China is no threat, says Wen

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, APRIL 6. The Chinese Prime Minister, Wen Jiabao, said here today a "strong and more developed" China would never pose threat to any country and declared here that his country would unswervingly pursue its policy of "good-neighbourly relationships."

Addressing the delegates from 26 Asian countries, gathered here to attend the 4th Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) ministerial meeting, Mr. Wen dwelt at length on reasons why the threat perception was "misplaced" and assured his country would always be a "trustworthy and a reliable partner."

Land boundary

The ACD, a pan-Asian grouping, has two dimensions — dialogue and cooperation. While 19 areas have been identified for functional cooperation among member-States, India is the prime mover for the sectors of biotechnology and transportation linkages.

The Union Minister for Science and Technology, Kapil Sibal, proposed that an ACD Consortium on Biotechnology be set up and said India was ready to host its headquarters.

Stating that China has resolved the land boundary with most of its neighbours and reached agreement with others on having a joint development in the South China Sea, Mr. Wen said China would continue to appropriately handle the issues left over by history through consultations on an "equal footing, mutual understanding and accommodation." He said despite having a per capita GDP slightly over $l,000, China still has a long way to go before it was modernised.

"Even if we become stronger and more developed, we will not stand in the way of others, still less become a threat to others. China will never seek hegemony."

He said China would continue to broaden and deepen its economic cooperation with Asian countries. "Countries, large or small, rich or poor, are all our equal partners, and mutual benefit and we are dedicated to our goals to achieve win-win results.

"It is with sincerity and firmness that China adheres to the path of peaceful development. No matter how international climate might change, the Chinese people will always be a trustworthy and reliable partner for the Asian peoples," Mr. Wen said.

Mr. Wen said Asia needs peace, which was the precondition and guarantee for well-being and prosperity. "Warfare or conflicts not only cause agony and suffering to the people but waste the time and opportunity for national development."

In his inaugural address, the Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said his country was committed to a peaceful settlement of the Kashmir problem with India as per the "wishes and aspirations" of Kashmiris and it was imperative that the dialogue process to resolve the outstanding issues should be "sustained and result-oriented."

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