The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : `India and China are driven by the same goals of economic growth'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Mar 29, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

`India and China are driven by the same goals of economic growth'

Staff Reporter

SHARED HISTORY: Speaker Krishna (left) and Consul-General of the People's Republic of China Zhang Weigo at a function to celebrate the 57th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and China, in Bangalore on Wednesday. — Photo: Sampath Kumar G.P.

BANGALORE: "China is about to become the world's biggest power in the next 15 years, according to World Bank estimates. Yet, despite all the geopolitical changes that the world is seeing, India is bent on looking to the West, not the East, at our neighbour with whom we have a long shared history," said V.T. Rajashekar, editor, "Dalit Voice".

He was speaking at the celebrations of the "57th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and China", here on Wednesday.

The meeting was organised by the India-China Friendship Association (ICFA), Karnataka.

Mr. Rajashekar added that one of the main impediments to Indo-China ties was the anti-China propaganda by the Dalai Lama, who, he alleged, was funding the Vishwa Hindu Parishad.

Zhang Weigo, Chinese Consul-General of the People's Republic of China in Mumbai, said that India and China are driven by the same goals of economic growth, improving livelihood and dealing with the problems of globalisation.

"We have a shared history of an anti-imperialist struggle, and now, we face a multi-polar world and have a responsibility to work together for regional and international peace," he added.

Mr. Weigo said, "We have every reason to be proud of our ties. Our bilateral trade is now upwards of $ 22 billion, with an increase of 32 per cent every year.

"China has become the second largest trading partner for India."

China values its friendship with India, Mr. Weigo said. "We might be the two largest developing countries in the world," he said.

However, "our historical friendship has gone back further to 2,000 years ago," he added. Also present at the meeting were Speaker Krishna and General Secretary, ICFA, Karnataka, V. Bhaskaran.

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