Swaraj arrives in Beijing on four-day visit

[Hindustani78]

Swaraj arrives in Beijing on four-day visit
Beijing, Jan 31, 2015 (PTI)

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj arrived here today on a four-day visit to China during which she would meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and hold talks with her Chinese counterpart on wide-ranging bilateral and multilateral issues besides attending the Russia-India- China (RIC) trilateral.
This is the 62-year-old leader's first visit to Beijing after she took over the office last year.
Swaraj is expected to finalise arrangements for opening the second route of the Kailash-Manasarovar Yatra in Tibet for which China agreed last year to open it for Indian pilgrims.

The route through Nathu La Pass in Sikkim which facilitates comfortable travel by buses through Tibet was expected to be opened in the next few months.

Swaraj is accompanied by new Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar, among other senior ministry officials.

This is Jaishankar's first foreign trip after being appointed two days back, replacing Sujatha Singh whose tenure was abruptly "curtailed".

He served as India's Ambassador to China for nearly four years before being appointed as Ambassador to the US in 2013.
During the trip, that comes within a week of US President Barack Obama's three-day visit to New Delhi, Swaraj will "discuss bilateral, regional and global issues of concern to both sides" with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, Ministry of External Affairs said in New Delhi yesterday.
The two sides will also explore the possibility of a visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi later this year.

Swaraj is also expected to meet Xi, who along with Wang, had visited India last year immediately after the installation of the Modi government.

During her stay here, Swaraj will speak at the India- China Media Forum, interact with the Indian Community of Beijing (ICB) and inaugurate the 'Visit India Year' aimed at attracting more Chinese tourists to India.

Earlier, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told media that China attaches "great importance" to Swaraj's visit and bilateral ties between the two largest developing countries and major emerging economies were progressing in a "sound and stable way".
Ahead of her visit, a number of articles in Chinese official media came out with critical commentaries accusing Obama of attempting to create a wedge between China and India to further US Asia Pivot strategy to contain the communist nation's influence.

Swaraj will also attend the RIC meeting with her Chinese and Russian counterparts.
Hua said being emerging markets, the three countries share similar views on major international and regional issues and hence, "will exchange views on practical cooperation and issues of common interest".

"We believe a range of consensus will emerge from the meeting to further our political trust and our practical cooperation," she said.

 

[Hindustani78]

Sushma unveils six-point plan to realise ‘Asian Century’ dream - The Hindu

PTI
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj with Wang Yi, China Foreign Minister of in Beijing on Sunday.

The two sides needed to "expand strategic communication" and "fulfil the common aspiration to usher and ‘Asian Century’," Ms. Swaraj observed.
India has unveiled an ambitious agenda to elevate its ties with China, with External Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj announcing a six-point proposal to jointly realise with Beijing, the dream of an “Asian Century”. In her first engagement of the morning in the Chinese capital, Ms. Swaraj said at the inaugural of the Second India-China Media Forum that a six-point template can enrich the civilizations of India and China in the modern era, resulting in the realisation of an “Asian Century”.

Listing out the proposals in alphabetical order A-F, Ms. Swaraj stressed that New Delhi-Beijing ties can reach the next level if both sides enforce an “action- oriented approach and a broad-based bilateral engagement”. She asserted that the two countries need to achieve “convergence on common regional and global interests” and “develop new areas of cooperation”. The two sides needed to “expand strategic communication” and “fulfil the common aspiration to usher and ‘Asian Century’,” Ms. Swaraj observed.

The visiting Minister announced that on the “boundary question” - an irritant in the relationship that triggered the 1962, Sino-Indian war - “my government is committed to exploring an early settlement”. Ms. Swaraj, who arrived in Beijing on Saturday night, after a stopover in Kunming, one of the starting points of the China’s Maritime Silk Road initiative and the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) economic corridor, also observed that the foundation had been laid to take the Sino-Indian “economic cooperation to a qualitatively new level”.

On its part, China acknowledged the Sino-Indian relations had entered a new period of “major-country relations,” a nuanced formulation reserved to describe Beijing’s ties with regional and global heavyweights, including the United States. Also speaking at the media-forum inaugural, China’s Jiang Jianguo, minister of state council information office quoted former leader Deng Xiaoping as saying that “only when China and India have developed will a real ‘century of Asia’ will emerge.” He substantiated Beijing’s aspirations by inviting India to participate in the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21 set century Maritime Silk Road—President Xi’s pet project to achieve Eurasian economic integration, based on a land and sea transportation network, complemented by a grid off energy pipelines, fiber-optic highways, industrial parks and smart cities. “With the ‘belt and road’ initiatives as wings, China wants to take off together with the countries involved,” said Mr. Jiang. India has so far backed the BCIM proposal that would connect Kolkata with Kunming-the capital of Yunnan province, which is the gateway to three ASEAN countries: Myanmar, Laos and Thailand. New Delhi also hosted a meeting of chief negotiators of the Asian Investment and Infrastructure Bank, signalling India’s full support to a China backed initiative that is likely to help support President Xi’s Silk Road projects.

Yet, China’s forays in the Indian Ocean, including Sri Lanka and Maldives, are impeding New Delhi full support for the MSR. “Our strategic dialogue with China has to broaden and deepen to address these concerns,” a diplomatic source told The Hindu. In her address Ms. Swaraj promised “to make it easier” for Chinese companies to do business in India, citing the establishment of two China-backed industrial parks in India, as an illustration of Bejing’s support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Make in India” initiative to spur the manufacturing sector in India.

 

[Hindustani78]

'India, China taking solid steps for new momentum in ties' | Zee News
Last Updated: Monday, February 2, 2015 - 18:36

Beijing: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj here and said China and India have taken "solid steps" to make new progress in bilateral ties besides implementing the agreements reached between him and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.


"I have full confidence in India-China relations and I believe that new progress will be achieved in growing this bilateral relationship in this new year," Xi told Swaraj, who called on him at the cavernous Great Hall of the People here on her maiden visit to the communist nation after she assumed charge last year.

Xi said that since his visit to India in September last year, relations between the two countries have entered into a new stage of growth.

"The positive side of India-China relations has been growing and momentum of our cooperation has been strengthening and solid steps are being taken to implement agreements reached between Prime Minister Modi and I," he said as he welcomed the 62-year-old senior BJP leader.

One such solid step taken was yesterday's exchange of notes on modalities for opening the second route for the Kailash-Manasarovar Yatra in Tibet via Sikkim by June, that will allow more Indians to undertake the pilgrimage.

Xi had promised opening the new route to Modi during the former's maiden visit to New Delhi last year.

Recalling fond memories of his India visit, Xi told Swaraj: "Last September I visited India and cherish fresh memories about the gracious hospitality extended to me by government and people of India.

"In particular, I cherish the memories of Prime Minister Modi's home province Gujarat and Prime Minister himself accompanied me on that trip."

The 61-year-old Chinese President, who is also the General Secretary of the ruling Communist Party, conveyed his best wishes to the Indian leadership.

"Please convey my best regards and greetings to President (Pranab) Mukherjee and Prime Minister Modi when you go back," Xi said in a rare meeting with a visiting Foreign Minister.

PTI

Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping hold a meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing Monday.

 

[Echo_419]

Swaraj arrives in Beijing on four-day visit
Beijing, Jan 31, 2015 (PTI)

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj arrived here today on a four-day visit to China during which she would meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and hold talks with her Chinese counterpart on wide-ranging bilateral and multilateral issues besides attending the Russia-India- China (RIC) trilateral.
This is the 62-year-old leader's first visit to Beijing after she took over the office last year.
Swaraj is expected to finalise arrangements for opening the second route of the Kailash-Manasarovar Yatra in Tibet for which China agreed last year to open it for Indian pilgrims.

The route through Nathu La Pass in Sikkim which facilitates comfortable travel by buses through Tibet was expected to be opened in the next few months.

Swaraj is accompanied by new Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar, among other senior ministry officials.

This is Jaishankar's first foreign trip after being appointed two days back, replacing Sujatha Singh whose tenure was abruptly "curtailed".

He served as India's Ambassador to China for nearly four years before being appointed as Ambassador to the US in 2013.
During the trip, that comes within a week of US President Barack Obama's three-day visit to New Delhi, Swaraj will "discuss bilateral, regional and global issues of concern to both sides" with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, Ministry of External Affairs said in New Delhi yesterday.
The two sides will also explore the possibility of a visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi later this year.

Swaraj is also expected to meet Xi, who along with Wang, had visited India last year immediately after the installation of the Modi government.

During her stay here, Swaraj will speak at the India- China Media Forum, interact with the Indian Community of Beijing (ICB) and inaugurate the 'Visit India Year' aimed at attracting more Chinese tourists to India.

Earlier, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told media that China attaches "great importance" to Swaraj's visit and bilateral ties between the two largest developing countries and major emerging economies were progressing in a "sound and stable way".
Ahead of her visit, a number of articles in Chinese official media came out with critical commentaries accusing Obama of attempting to create a wedge between China and India to further US Asia Pivot strategy to contain the communist nation's influence.

Swaraj will also attend the RIC meeting with her Chinese and Russian counterparts.
Hua said being emerging markets, the three countries share similar views on major international and regional issues and hence, "will exchange views on practical cooperation and issues of common interest".

"We believe a range of consensus will emerge from the meeting to further our political trust and our practical cooperation," she said.

The future is bright for Sino-India ties

 

[HeinzG]

The future is bright for Sino-India ties

If this happens it will be one of the best things ever happened.

 

[Hindustani78]

Sino-Indian ties have entered new phase: Xi Jinping - The Hindu

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday said that Sino-Indian ties had achieved a turnaround, having entered a “new stage” of partnership following his visit to India in September last.

“Since my visit to India, the relations between our two countries have entered a new phase. The positive side of China-India relations has been growing,” President Xi said, after he received visiting External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in the Great Hall of the People.

“Solid steps are being taken to implement agreements between Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi and me,” he said. Mr. Xi added, “I have full confidence on the future of China and India relations. I believe the good process will be achieved in the growth of bilateral relations.”

Sino-Indian ties were advancing with a steady “momentum”, the President observed.

Mr. Xi recalled his visit to Mr. Modi’s hometown during his visit, signaling his warm personal ties with the Indian Prime Minister. “Last September I visited India. I still cherish the fresh memories in my mind about the gracious hospitality extended to me by the government and people and particularly I cherish the fond memories of my trip to Prime Minister Modi's home town in Gujarat State.”

Mr. Xi stressed the special gesture shown by Mr. Modi for personally accompanying him during the visit to Ahmedabad. “Please convey my best regards and cordial greetings to President (Pranab) Mukherjee and Prime Minister Modi.”

On her part, Ms. Swaraj conveyed to Mr. Xi, Mr. Modi’s warm wishes, on the occasion of the upcoming Lunar Year of the Sheep, the Chinese New Year.

She said the Year of the Sheep signaled creativity and innovation, reinforcing President Xi’s stress on creativity and innovation during his India visit last year. Ms. Swaraj was confident that the two countries would be able to devise new ways during the Chinese New Year to further improve the relationship.