 Online edition of India's National Newspaper Saturday, Mar 05, 2011 ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version |
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BEIJING: The Chinese government said on Friday that it was ready to take forward the negotiations with India over the long-running border dispute, and that the two countries' relationship was now stable enough for a settlement to be reached. The comments from a top official of the Chinese parliament, or the National People's Congress, came a day before the start of its annual session, during which it is likely to approve a 12.7 per cent increase in the country's defence budget, a rise that has stirred concern among many of China's neighbours. “We seek to advance the negotiations … process on a settlement framework, so as to resolve the boundary question which has been created and left over by history,” said Li Zhaoxing, chairman of the NPC's Foreign Affairs Committee. “At present, there are friendly and stable relations between China and India. This has created a good atmosphere for the two sides to resolve the boundary question through consultations.” Mr. Li said the setting up of the Special Representatives mechanism in 2003 and the agreement on political parameters in 2005 had helped to create momentum in the long-running talks, which have made little progress. The two countries have had 14 rounds of talks, and are now engaged in framework negotiations based on the 2005 agreement. Responding to a question on concerns voiced by China's neighbours, including India, about China's rising military expenditure, Mr. Li said China's defence spending as a share of its GDP was still lower than that of most countries. He pointed out to Indian reporters that China's defence spending was 1.4 per cent of GDP, and India's own share was higher. China's military budget for the coming year, pending approval from the NPC, would reach 601 billion yuan ($91.5 billion), a 12.7 per cent increase from last year. India has set the military budget at around $36 billion, an 11.6 per cent increase from last year. China's declared defence budget outlay is far lower than that of the United States, which is $725 billion, though Indian and U.S. officials say China's accounting is less transparent. Mr. Li, a former Foreign Minister, described the regional security environment in Asia as stable, with “deeper political mutual trust” and “more integration of economic interest.”
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