Chinese president high on rhetoric, low on substance

NEW DELHI: China’s unease over India’s growing strategic ties with the US came to the fore on Wednesday when Chinese president Hu Jintao sought India’s support for a multi-polar world.

President Hu, in a keynote address at Vigyan Bhawan, stressed on the need for a multi-polar world and a “more equitable’’ and “fairer’’ political and economic order in an obvious reference to the US’ superpower status.

“We should promote multi-polarity in the world and democracy in international relations and democracy in international relations and work to make the international political and economic order fairer,’’ said Mr Hu.

In another reference to a multi-polar world, Mr Hu emphasised that both China and India face “rare development opportunities’’ in a world moving towards multi-polarity and growing economic globalisation,In a speech peppered with reassurances on all the irritants in Sino-India ties, Mr Hu also sought to allay apprehensions in India on his country’s close ties with Pakistan.

“China does not seek any selfish gains in South Asia and stands ready to play a constructive role in promoting peace and development in the subcontinent,’’ he said. Mr Hu is visiting Pakistan next and he goes there with a substantive agenda, including co-operation on civilian nuclear energy and signing of an unprecedented number of agreements.
On the other hand, Mr Hu’s visit here is being viewed as being high in reassurances but low on substance.

Even though there were initiatives announced after talks between Mr Hu and prime minister Manmohan Singh on increasing trade and investment, which anyway drive Sino-India ties, Beijing did not bring anything to the table on outstanding issues like the border issue.

There is a feeling here that Beijing wants to gauge the direction of growing ties between the US and India and maintain the status quo. New Delhi was specifically hoping for some forward movement on the border issue but had to be satisfied with announcing that both sides want the special representatives to accelerate work for an early settlement of the boundary issues.

In his keynote address, Mr Hu talked about the boundary issue calling it a ``left over from the past’’ and said that an early settlement of the issue “serves the fundamental interest of the two countries.’’ He said that China is ready to work with India to seek a “fair, just and mutually acceptable’’ solution.

He said China is ready to work with India guided by the “Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence.’’ “We hope to turn China-India boundary into a bond of good neighbourliness and mutually beneficial co-operation.

On China’s economic growth, Mr Hu admitted that there were problems from a large population to weak economic foundation to uneven regional development to a per capita GDP that ranks 100th in the world. “To modernise China and enable the Chinese people to lead a well off life remains a long term and arduous task for us,’’ he said.

He added that the goal is to increase bilateral trade and pointed to technology, energy, agriculture and science and technology as key areas of co-operation. He also welcomed India participation in the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation.

He also said that China’s aim is to quadruple China’s GDP by ’20 so that it reaches $4 trillion. “By then China will have made greater progress in economic development, democracy, science and technology and education,’’ he added.