Post; Chinese PM Wen Jiabao arrives in India; focus on trade, bord

SwordFish_13 · April 9th, 2005

Hi,

Quote:

Source:AFP

BANGALORE, India (AFP) - Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao arrived here on the last leg of a four nation South Asia tour for talks with Indian leaders expected to boost trade between the two Asian giants and narrow differences on a dragging border dispute.
Wen touched down in this southern city, hub of India's thriving IT industry, from Sri Lanka after having earlier in the week visited Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Police in Bangalore stepped up security after hundreds of exiled Tibetans warned they would stage protests during the premier's visit to register opposition to Chinese rule of their homeland.

Karnataka state, of which Bangalore is the capital, is home to thousands of Tibetan refugees who are staying in Bylakuppe, Kollegal, Mundgod and Hunsur settlements.

Police said Saturday many Tibetan youth had been taken into preventive custody to ensure a smooth stay for Wen, who is accompanied by Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing, Minister of Education Zhou Ji and Minister of Commerce Bo Xilai.

The premier's engagements in Bangalore include a visit to the offices of Tata Consultancy Services, India's biggest software services exporter, and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), a Chinese embassy spokeswoman said.

According to IT industry experts, China is keen to grab a slice of the multi-billion dollar software exports and outsourcing market, currently dominated by India.

Wen was Sunday to leave for the Indian capital New Delhi, where he is to meet Indian Foreign Minister Natwar Singh for talks.

He is scheduled to meet on Monday with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Indian officials have said the agenda for the talks between the world's two fastest growing major economies will be topped by business, including a possible free trade zone in a market of 2.3 billion consumers, one third of the world's population.

An Indian official said accords to boost trade beyond the current 13.6 billion dollar mark and cultural links between the two countries were also expected to be concluded during Wen's visit.

However, the two countries have still to resolve a long-standing boundary dispute that led to a brief, but bitter, border war in 1962.

Discussions to resolve the border dispute are under way and former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee reached an agreement with the Chinese government in 2003 that scaled down tensions considerably.

India says China occupies 38,000 square kilometres (14,670 square miles) of its territory while Beijing says New Delhi occupies some 90,000 square kilometres of Chinese territory.

Home Minister Shivraj Patil said this week India was "hopeful" that a solution to the border dispute would be worked out soon.

Wen and Singh will "discuss how to solve this (border) problem, about trade and how to maintain peace," Patil was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India news agency.

Wen is expected to face protests by exiled Tibetans living in Delhi as well.

India has played host to Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, 69, and officials of the Tibetan government-in-exile since the monk fled Tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule.

The Dalai Lama has since recognized Chinese control and encouraged renewed ties in 2002 between representatives of both sides who have met three times to discuss a possible return of Tibetan exiles.

Tibet's exiled prime minister Samdhong Rinpoche Friday appealed to the younger Tibetans "to refrain from indulging in aggressive demonstrations" in a bid to create a "conducive atmosphere" for China and the exiled government to hold talks.

Peace
-=SF_13=-