Differences are no barrier to good ties: Wen

NEW DELHI - India and China may have certain points of disagreement but this cannot stop them from establishing a stronger relationship, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said Thursday.

“We both are big nations and ancient nations, so it is quite natural that we have certain points where we don’t agree,” Wen said in a speech delivered at the Indian Council for World Affairs here.

“However, we have cooperated for more than 2,000 years. The various factors cannot stop us from establishing a good relationship,” he said.

“Relations have developed and I am confident that we will able able to establish further cooperative relationship,” he said.

The Chinese leader also referred to the ideals of Panchsheel, the five principles of coexistence established between the two countries in 1954.

China would soon become India’s biggest trading partner, Wen pointed out. “We both will cooperate in forums like G-20 to establish a just economic order in the world.”

Wen stated that both nations faced great challenges and also “enormous development”.

“There is muti-polarism in the world but still certain bad things happening in the world which have brought challenges for both of our nations,” he pointed out.

The Chinese leader lavished praise on the interaction between the cultures of the two civilisations over the millenia.

“Indian culture has encriched Chinese culture. Chinese culture also left its impression on India,” he said.

“(Rabindranath) Tagore has left deep impression on Chinese intelligentsia. And there have been many scholars who have studied Indian culture,” the Chinese premier added.

Wen noted that Indian culture had left a “deep impression on Chinese thought and world thinking process”.

He noted that the “contribution of Dr (Dwarkanath) Kotnis is still very deep in our mindset”.

Kotnis was one of five Indian doctors who went to offer medical assistance during the Sino-Japanese war in 1938.