The Hindu : Front Page : Future could belong to Asia if India, China work together: Wen

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 13, 2005

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Future could belong to Asia if India, China work together: Wen

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, APRIL 12. Emphasising that the 21st century could belong to Asia if India and China developed relations and worked together, the Chinese Prime Minister, Wen Jiabao, today said that the two countries were not rivals but friendly neighbours.

Addressing and interacting with students and the faculty of the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, Mr. Wen walked away with not just applause but also the goodwill of the students charmed with his reconfirmation that the slogan "Hindi-Chini-Bhai-Bhai" still held good.

In a speech laced with quotes from Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Rabindranath Tagore, Mr. Wen said he did not agree with the belief that India and China were rivals or competitors. "Some see China and India as competitors. But I disagree. To view India and China as only rivals is not right. China and India are friendly neighbours and can be cooperative partners," Mr. Wen said.

With the topic of his speech being a guarded affair till the very end, Mr. Wen spoke out in favour of cooperation in different fields.

Borrowing a quote from Tagore which he made after his visit to China, Mr. Wen said: "Today I feel as if I have returned to my native soil," adding that he was "simply touched by Indian aspirations'' and impressed with the tremendous strides made by the country in the past 11 years.

India and China were among the fastest growing economies of the 21st century, and theexpansion of economic cooperation was one of the key priority areas. Combining the strong points of both countries could help achieve a faster and greater development.

Emphasising the need for developed countries to close ranks, he said: "India hopes to play an important role in the U.N. and we extend our support.'' It was important to carry forward the tradition of peace. "We wish to see India prosperous and developed. Also, a prosperous and developed China is in India's interest."

The students were more than happy, when Mr. Wen said he was ready to take more questions even after the official function was over.

When a student asked about a possible increase in exchange of students, Mr. Wen said: "Exchange of students represents an important channel for the young to interact. We can probably do this by increasing the current quota of Indian students allowed to study in China." He had proposed to the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, an exchange project with 100 young Indians going to China to understand the country better and 100 young people from China coming to India.

``Japan should face up to history''

By Our Diplomatic Correspondent

The Chinese Premier, Wen Jiabao, was all smiles at his press interaction here this morning. He adopted a serious demeanour only once when it came to dealing with a question on a new Japanese history textbook, which reportedly plays down wartime atrocities.

In response to a question, Mr. Wen said that the core issue between Beijing and Tokyo was Japan's need to "face up to history." During the "war of aggression" in the last century, Japan had inflicted huge suffering on the people of Asia and other parts of the world.

Referring to the recent protests in China and other neighbouring countries that targeted Japan's efforts to enter the United Nations' Security Council as a permanent member, he said these protests should lead to a "deep and profound reflection" by Japan.

According to him, only a country which respected history and took responsibility and which could win the trust of the peoples of Asia and the world would be in a position to take greater responsibilities in the international community.

Mr. Wen said that China and Japan were close neighbours. "We need to take history as a mirror and continuously move forward and strengthen ties between China and Japan," he added.

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