Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh visited Beijing during the week and both sides pledged to take Sino-Indian bilateral ties to a higher level. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao asserted that both China and India were “cooperative partners rather than competitors”. To give a major push to the bilateral ties, the two countries signed 10 deals in areas ranging from economic planning to housing, and railway construction to health and culture. Two important proposals they agreed to implement included the decision to hold another joint-military drill in India to build more confidence between two armies and to launch a feasibility study on a regional trading agreement at a convenient time1.

A joint-document titled “A Shared Vision for the 21st Century of the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of India” was also signed. The declaration covered both bilateral and multi-lateral issues like politics, energy, nuclear, climate change, disarmament, terrorism, religion, regional trade and integrity, defense and the border issue. At the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing, Dr. Singh reminded his audience that China and India were destined to play in the “transformation of Asia and the world”2.

Among other developments, Chen Bingde, the PLA Chief of the General Staff noted that it was in the US’s interest not to send any wrong signal on the ‘Taiwan independence’ issue which would bring trouble to Sino-US relationship. Describing the issue as a ‘sensitive’ one, Chen accused Taiwanese leader Chen Shui-bian’s ‘stubbornness’ to intensify the secessionist activities3.

• 1. Qin Jize, “Sino-Indian Ties Cemented,” China Daily, January 15, 2008, p.1
• 2. “China, India reinforce confidence to boost ties,” People’s Daily, January 16, 2008, at http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90776/90883/6338951.html
• 3. “Chinese senior military official urges U.S. not to send wrong signal to Taiwan,” People’s Daily, January 15, 2008, at http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90776/90883/6338021.html