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DATE=6/14/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-250604
TITLE=CHINA/INDIA (L ONLY)
BYLINE=ROGER WILKISON
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:  
INTRO:  INDIAN FOREIGN MINISTER JASWANT SINGH HAS ARRIVED IN 
CHINA FOR A THREE-DAY VISIT THAT INDIAN OFFICIALS SAY WAS 
SCHEDULED BEFORE NEW DELHI  STEPPED UP ITS ATTACKS ON REBELS IN 
KASHMIR.  V-O-A CORRESPONDENT ROGER WILKISON REPORTS MR. SINGH'S 
VISIT TO BEIJING COMES THREE DAYS AFTER A LIGHTNING TRIP TO THE 
CHINESE CAPITAL BY PAKISTAN'S FOREIGN MINISTER.
TEXT:  MR. SINGH IS THE FIRST INDIAN FOREIGN MINISTER TO VISIT 
CHINA IN EIGHT YEARS.  INDIAN OFFICIALS SAY HIS VISIT SHOULD BE 
SEEN IN THE CONTEXT OF SINO-INDIAN RELATIONS AND NOT IN RELATION 
TO THE RECENT FLARE-UP OF FIGHTING BETWEEN INDIA AND PAKISTAN 
OVER KASHMIR.
MR. SINGH'S PAKISTANI COUNTERPART, SARTAJ AZIZ, MADE A BRIEF TRIP
TO BEIJING ON FRIDAY TO CONSULT WITH CHINESE OFFICIALS ON THE 
KASHMIR CRISIS.  ON SATURDAY, HE MET WITH MR. SINGH IN NEW DELHI,
BUT THEIR TALKS ENDED IN FAILURE, WITH EACH SIDE MAINTAINING A 
HARD-LINE POSITION ON THEIR STANDOFF OVER KASHMIR.
INDIA BEGAN ATTACKS ON MAY 26TH TO FLUSH OUT WHAT IT CALLS  
PAKISTANI-BACKED INFILTRATORS IN THE INDIAN-CONTROLLED SECTOR OF 
THE  DISPUTED REGION.  PAKISTAN SAYS IT ONLY PROVIDES DIPLOMATIC 
AND MORAL SUPPORT FOR THE GUERRILLAS.
MR. AZIZ SAID FRIDAY CHINA AGREES WITH PAKISTAN THAT THERE SHOULD
BE A NEGOTIATED SETTLEMENT TO THE CRISIS OVER KASHMIR.  CHINA AND
PAKISTAN ARE LONG-TIME ALLIES.  BOTH HAVE FOUGHT WARS WITH INDIA 
AND ARE WARY OF NEW DELHI'S DOMINANT ROLE ON THE SUB-CONTINENT.  
BUT DESPITE ITS ALLIANCE WITH  ISLAMABAD, BEIJING HAS BEEN 
EVEN-HANDED IN CALLING ON BOTH INDIA AND PAKISTAN TO DEFUSE 
TENSIONS IN THE CURRENT CRISIS.  CHINA IS CONCERNED  ABOUT ANY 
ESCALATION OF THE CONFRONTATION BETWEEN ITS TWO NUCLEAR-CAPABLE 
NEIGHBORS.
MR. SINGH HELD TALKS MONDAY WITH CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER TANG 
JIAXUAN AND WILL MEET ON TUESDAY WITH PREMIER ZHU RONGJI.  BUT 
NEITHER SIDE OFFERED ANY DETAILS ON THE DISCUSSIONS.  RELATIONS 
BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES HAVE BEEN STRAINED FOR DECADES AND GOT 
WORSE LAST YEAR WHEN INDIAN DEFENSE MINISTER GEORGE FERNANDES 
CALLED CHINA THE BIGGEST POTENTIAL THREAT TO HIS COUNTRY'S 
SECURITY.  (SIGNED)
NEB/RW/FC/PLM
14-Jun-99 6:16 AM EDT (1016 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.