New Delhi, January 17
India and China today began the next round of their two-day Special Representatives-level talks on boundary dispute, but there was no word on results.
Both sides clammed up completely on the day’s proceedings as the two Special Representatives (SRs), India’s National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan and China’s Vice-Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo engaged themselves in a meaningful dialogue.
The talks are being held at Hyderabad House here in the wake of a positive message from the two countries’ Prime Ministers, Dr Manmohan Singh and Mr Wen Jiabao, who, at their bilateral meeting in Philippines three days ago, directed their SRs to lend greater “vigour and innovation” to the vexed negotiations.
It is understood that at these talks much wider issues are going to be taken up aimed at forging better understanding and greater appreciation of each other in the interest of a wider cooperation.
The two sides are also determined to bury acrimony of recent past and look forward.
The two neighbours had had an unpleasant and avoidable diplomatic incident when the Chinese Ambassador here, Mr Sun Yuxi,
publicly stated on the eve of President Hu Jintao’s India visit that the whole of Arunachal Pradesh belonged to China. This time no such
unpleasantries are going to take place.
The Indian perception is that through its envoy’s remark, Beijing was conveying its
unhappiness at the Indo-US nuclear deal which was at a critical stage in the US Congress. Now that the nuclear deal has got the Congress nod and has become a law with President George W. Bush’s signatures, Beijing is expected to take a more realistic view of the India-China-US triad.
The reality check for both the sides is that there can be no settlement on the boundary question involving population transfer. It is amply clear to both sides that there can’t be a situation wherein an Indian becomes Chinese overnight and vice versa. This has been the Indian position and the Chinese are increasingly appreciating this position.
