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| Afghanistan/South Asia |
| India, China Agree to Form Partnership |
| 2005-04-11 |
| India and China, the world's two most populous countries, agreed Monday to form a strategic partnership to end a border dispute and boost trade in a deal marking a major shift in relations between the Asian giants. The agreement, signed by both premiers, eases decades of mutual distrust between the nations, which share a mountainous, 2,500-mile border and fought a war in 1962. Parts of the border still are not demarcated. "India and China can together reshape the world order," Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said at a ceremony for his Chinese counterpart, Premier Wen Jiabao, at India's presidential palace. Together, the two nations account for one-third of the world's population. The agreement outlined steps to demarcate the disputed boundary through a "fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution, through equal and friendly consultations," a statement announcing the partnership said. The agreement does not involve defense arrangements, so it will not give Chinese ships the use of Indian ports. An 11-point plan to settle the border dispute was finalized Sunday at a meeting between India's National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan and China's Vice Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo, the leader of the Chinese delegation to the talks. The plan states that the countries would consider historical factors, geographical features, people living in the area, security and whether the area was currently under Indian or Chinese control when marking the border. India says China still holds 16,000 square miles of its territory in the Kashmir region, while Beijing lays claim to a wide swath of territory in India's northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, which shares a 650-mile border with China's Tibet region. China also recognized the Himalayan territory of Sikkim, located between Nepal and the kingdom of Bhutan, as a part of India, an Indian foreign ministry official said. "A new map which the Chinese have published shows Sikkim as part of India. This is no longer an issue between us," Shyam Saran, a top official in the External Affairs Ministry, told reporters. Sikkim was an independent principality before it was annexed by India in 1975. China never recognized Sikkim as an Indian possession and has claimed part of the territory as its own. Rest at link. |
| Posted by:ed |
| #1 Plus, India has begun construction of an aircraft carrier. |
| Posted by: too true 2005-04-11 11:07:25 AM |