Bangalore, October 26: India’s up and down ties with China are likely to dominate the ninth trilateral meeting of the two Asian giants and Russia in this technology hub Tuesday.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had stated at Hua Hin (Thailand) Sunday that differences between India and China would be taken up by their respective foreign ministers when they meet here. The stage is now set for serious talks between the two countries.
Though the day-long meeting of Russia, India and China (RIC) is ostensibly meant to discuss ways to expand cooperation in regional and international issues such as the global financial crisis, terrorism and UN reforms, the bilateral talks between External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna and his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi on the sidelines would be keenly watched.
“Yang and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov are arriving in Bangalore late Monday with a team of officials for the three-nation dialogue Tuesday. Krishna will also hold a separate meeting with Yang on the sidelines,” an external affairs ministry spokesman told news agencies here.
A joint declaration will be made after the trilateral meeting on the initiatives to be taken for furthering cooperation among the three countries. Trade and commerce are also high on the agenda to counter the impact of the global recession.
“The meeting will focus on developing contacts between businesses among the three nations, measures to deal with the menace of terrorism, especially in the south Asian region and inclusive growth,” the official said.
In light of Manmohan Singh and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao agreeing on the sidelines of the Indo-ASEAN summit in the Thai resort to resolve India-China differences amicably, observers hope the talks between Krishna and Yang will ease the tensions between the two neighbours.
The unresolved border dispute, the allegations of Chinese intrusions into Indian territories, China’s objection to Manmohan Singh’s visit to Arunachal Pradesh early this month and the upcoming visit of Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama to the border state Nov 8 are expected to figure prominently in the bilateral talks between Krishna and Yang.
Former foreign secretary A.P. Venkateshwaran, however, feels nothing substantial would come out of the talks, especially on the border issue, which has been hanging fire for the past four decades.
“We can only hope there will be no aggression from China again. At the same time we must be prepared for the worst. The fact of the matter is China had no border with India until it took over Tibet by force in the fifties. Though its leadership signed an agreement with the Dalai Lama, they backed out,” Venkateshwaran recalled.
India’s IT capital Bangalore is holding such a major international meeting 23 years after it played host to the second South Asian Association of Regional Countries (SAARC) summit in November 1986 under then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.
–Agencies