The boundary issue with China “has not clouded” India’s “vision of the larger picture” in bilateral ties, according to External Affairs Minister S. M. Krishna.
“We have a good relationship with China,” Mr. Krishna said at the airport here on Monday. Speaking to The Hindu during a brief stop-over, while on his way home from Australia, he called for a continued “focus” by both India and China on staying their economic courses in the present context.
Hinting that the economic scene was “the larger picture,” the Minister said: “We are two robust economies, in spite of the [current] slowdown globally. These are the two economies which have shown signs of recovery and signs of growth. So, that shows that they are on the right track. We should continue to focus on that. When developing countries are collapsing like nine pins, these two countries have registered progress, which the world will have to take note of. Of course, we consider that China is a developed country; and we are a developing country. [However viewed], these two emerging economies of this century have done exceedingly well.”
He was asked to present a snapshot of the India-China ties in the context of recent developments on the bilateral front. He said: “We would like to strengthen our relationship with China, we would like a partnership with them. We would like the present process, which has been initiated to settle our concerns or their concerns on the boundary issue, [to continue]. We have evolved a methodology to take care of that. [The latest meeting of the Special Representatives] would have made significant progress. With China, we would continue this engagement for a cordial relationship, and we will work on that.”
Secretary (East) N. Ravi, who was with the Minister, said the India-China bilateral meeting on the sidelines of a recent regional conference in Thailand was focussed entirely on a “future-oriented” agenda.
Asked for an update on India’s ties with Japan, Mr. Krishna, who recently visited Tokyo, said “it is a broad spectrum relationship.” On whether civil nuclear cooperation with Tokyo was being sought, he said “we understand the Japanese sensitivity with reference to anything related to nuclear [matters].”
On Pakistan, he said, “we are waiting for [it] to show seriousness in dealing with [the issues of] terror directed against India.” Commenting on the way Pakistan was processing the case of “the mastermind behind the attack on Mumbai,” he said New Delhi had provided relevant dossiers to Islamabad. But, instead of acting on that basis, Pakistan was now “asking for more evidence, which I feel is not justified,” he noted.
