Sino-Indian ties good, others unhappy: Envoy

NEW DELHI: After the diplomatic exchange over Prime Minister Manmohan Singh���s visit to Arunachal, Chinese ambassador Zhang Yan, in a bid to highlight the positives in the relationship, has said that the two countries were partners in development but added that there were `others��� who were `not quite happy��� with the growing bilateral relationship between India and China.

The Chinese envoy did not name any countries but indicated that the increasing linkages between India and China were causing discomfort in some quarters. ``Maybe, there are people who are not quite happy about the current development of our bilateral relations. However, the growth of friendship and cooperation between our two peoples and two countries is a trend of the time,������ he said at a reception by an NGO.

But the ambassador, who called Mr Singh���s visit to Beijing another milestone for the two countries, was clearly trying to smooth ruffled feathers by saying that the two countries have ``more consensus than differences.������

���China and India are partners of development instead of rivals. There is enough space for the two countries to grow and prosper together,��� Mr Zhang said.

The Chinese envoy further said that his country was looking for new means to expand trade and economic cooperation and would work with India to create a ���favourable political conditions.��� ``The relationship between China and India has gone well beyond the bilateral context and acquired global and strategic dimension in importance,��� he said, and added, ``It has injected new impetus to the development of our bilateral relations and provided a historical opportunity for our two countries to work together for the betterment of our people and the world as a whole.���

He, however, acknowledged that `sensitive issues��� remain but added that bilateral ties are expanding on a fast track. The main sensitivity between India and China remains the border issue which continues to remain an irritant in the political relationship even as the economic relationship between the two countries continues to grow. Bilateral trade between the two countries reached $40 billion well ahead of trade targets. But the border issue continues to flare up at regular intervals with China putting forward its claims over Arunachal and India giving a counter.

But even as the two countries attempt to hammer out a solution to the border dispute, economic ties between the two countries have remained on track. India has also opened a consulate in Guangzhou.

���As fastest growing economies, India-China relations are central to economic development of the world. It provides powerful opportunities for the betterment of both countries,��� he said. As developing countries, India and China were concerned with ���improving the lives of people and the challenges of globalisation.���