Hu wants early, just settlement of border issues

NEW DELHI: Eager to send "an important political message to the world that India and China are friends", Chinese President Hu Jintao used a keynote address organised by the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) to record that his country was looking at early settlement of boundary issues.
But it came with a rider. "China and India are looking at an early settlement of the boundary issues and any resolution on the border issue should be fair, just and mutually acceptable," Hu said at the function at Vigyan Bhawan here.
"The resolution of the border issues should be construed as a strategic goal rather than making it expedient," he added, clearly implying that China will not accept any Indian offer that it does not construe as just, fair and acceptable.Hu did not elaborate, but said, "We want a boundary of neighbourhood and friendliness."
He was eager, he said, "to send an important political message to the world that India and China are friends, have the depth and width, mutual trust, visionary and far-sighted, follow history, continue leadership meetings and make full use of bilateral mechanisms."
Covering five key issues in his speech, Hu also outlined how to enhance business cooperation. "Our economies are complementary. We have to improve synergy and speed up the overall development." He wanted the varieties of goods currently being traded to increase and emphasized the need to encourage entrepreneurs to do more business in the areas of information technology, agriculture and energy among others.
He also underscored the issues of mutual trust, cultural and social exchange and multilateral cooperation that would set a standard in international affairs.
China, Hu said, was at a crucial stage. After 28 years of reforms it had been a historical leap from subsistence to a "moderately prosperous economy". He openly acknowledged China's problems and how it faced an uneven regional development and per capita gross domestic product (GDP) and the problems of a large population. The Chinese President said China was guided by a scientific outlook, putting people first, working towards a harmonious nation and the need to quadruple its current GDP by 2020.
Interestingly, Hu, who represents a new generation leadership in Communist China, talked about democracy in international relations and mentioned it twice in his speech, but did not say how China was willing to undertake such a daunting task in the Asian and world arena.
Also speaking at the function, Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat waxed eloquent about the Indian and Chinese civilisations and the collective wisdom of Lao Zi and Kautilya. The grottoes of Dunhuang and the magnificence of Ajanta and Ellora were the common heritage of mankind, he said expansively.
Shekhawat, who is also president of ICWA, spoke of another common heritage. "Together China and India represent two-fifths of the world population with 2.4 billion." Reading from a written text, the Vice President said: "India and China have always represented the core, vital interests of the developing world. In more recent times, India and China as young nation states enunciated the Panchsheel agreement of peaceful coexistence".
He too said India and China were at a critical phase while they were experiencing exciting, transformational economic growth and opportunities and how the Asian century that the leaders had envisaged, was at hand.
On expected lines, both Hu and Shekhawat talked about working in a strategic and cooperative rather than in a competitive framework. "Deeper and expanded engagement with each other can bring more benefits to both the sides," Shekhawat said, after which he quoted a Chinese saying that seemed to have lost context: "A stone from that mountain can be a jade for this". And then another, which fit a little better: "The creative faculties of our two peoples can be enriched by cross-fertilization."
Hu too read out a written speech, but had better quotes than Shekhawat, drawing from Confucius. Like when he said: "One who wishes to achieve success should help others achieve success."
He envisaged how India and China could play an important role in South Asia and how China welcomed political stability in the region. Allaying fears of China-bashers, he welcomed friendly ties between India and Pakistan and said China sought no selfish interests.
In his closing remarks, Hu wished for a world of enduring peace and working together to build a bright future. He said history will not just record what is being said but importantly what will be done.
Will Hu walk the talk?