China positive about India’s rise, warns of fragile ties

NEW DELHI - Two days ahead of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao’s visit, China Monday said it “takes a positive view of India’s rise” but warned that bilateral ties were “fragile” and there was need to create an environment of mutual trust.

“China takes a positive view of India’s rise and sees India’s rise as an opportunity, Chinese ambassador to India Zhang Yan said here, setting the tone for the three-day visit of the Chinese premier to India starting Wednesday.

The Chinese envoy, however, warned that relations between the two countries are fragile and can be damaged easily.

Alluding to negative reports in the media, the envoy exhorted both sides to avoid a war of words and stressed that the relationship required good care.

“Without trust, there can be no genuine relations, he said at a round-table meeting of experts organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

Describing India-China ties as “one of the most important relationships of the 21st century, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao agreed on the need to build mutual trust and underlined the “dynamic and evolving” nature of bilateral ties.

“People are at the heart of this relationship,” Rao said while calling for both sides to be “innovative, imaginative and creative” in taking the relations forward.

The envoy hoped that the Chinese premier’s visit will chalk out a roadmap for further development of bilateral relations.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will hold talks with Wen Thursday and discuss ways to expand the bilateral relationship and, among others, convey New Delhi’s concerns over Chinese stapled visas for Indian citizens of Jammu and Kashmir.