DATE=7/21/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=INDIA/CHINA (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-264652
BYLINE=ANJANA PASRICHA
DATELINE=NEW DELHI
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: China's foreign minister arrives in India late
Friday [today] for an official visit. He is the
highest-level Chinese official to visit India since it
conducted nuclear tests two years ago. Anjana
Pasricha reports from New Delhi.
TEXT: Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan meets is
meeting with senior Indian leaders [Foreign Minister
Jaswant Singh, Prime Minister Atal behari Vajpayee]
Saturday before travelling on to Pakistan. Indian
officials say the visit -- although brief -- is
expected to thaw relations between Beijing and New
Delhi.
The relationship worsened two years ago following
India's 1998 nuclear weapons tests. India had said
the nuclear tests were conducted to safeguard national
security and cited China as its biggest security
concern.
New Delhi began efforts to put the relationship back
on track last year when Indian Foreign Minister
Jaswant Singh visited China. Since then, several
senior Indian officials have visited Beijing. A
security dialogue also began in May.
Foreign Minister Tang has said he will convey to
Indian leaders what he calls "new and constructive
suggestions" on improving cooperation between the two
countries.
But independent political analyst Brahma Chellaney
says the current visit is unlikely to go far in
unraveling the difficult issues that trouble the
relationship.
/// CHELLANEY ACT ///
The Chinese foreign minister's visit is
basically a return visit, and it's largely
symbolic. And I don't think it's reflective of
any improvement in [the] India-China
relationship. I think the relationship remains
bedeviled by a number of problems, the most
prominent being the growing Sino-Pak nexus [EDS:
Chinese/Pakistan relationship].
/// END ACT ///
On the eve of Mr. Tang's visit, Indian officials said
New Delhi remains concerned about Chinese assistance
to Pakistan's missile and nuclear program. They say
China must be sensitive to India's security concerns.
Chinese officials are trying to ease Indian fears.
They say New Delhi's concerns about Beijing's military
assistance to Pakistan are unfounded, and have denied
recent allegations (in the U-S media) that Beijing has
stepped up covert aid to Pakistan's missile program.
India's relations with China are also troubled by a
boundary dispute that has been going on since the two
countries fought a war in 1962. Talks have been in
progress for more than a decade to resolve the
dispute. In recent years, the two countries have made
significant troop reduction along the Indo-Chinese
border.
Despite the political differences between the two
countries, two-way trade has been increasing. Indian
officials say New Delhi and Beijing will also make
efforts to increase economic and technological
cooperation. (signed)
NEB/AP/JP
21-Jul-2000 09:07 AM LOC (21-Jul-2000 1307 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.
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