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| World large enough for both India, China: Tharoor |
| Press Trust of India / New York Oct 19, 2009, 15:22 IST |
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Describing the recent verbal spat between China and India as "irritants," Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor said the two countries shared a healthy relationship and minor issues should not be "blown out of proportion".
"I think it's important that everyone scale down the temperature a little bit. It's not as if there is any substantive reason for hostilities between our countries," Tharoor told journalists in New York.
India and China exchanged verbal volleys earlier this month over Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Arunachal Pradesh, which Beijing considers a disputed region.
However Tharoor played down the controversy, saying the fresh border skirmishes were "irritants" and relations between the Asian neighbours should be viewed in a broader context.
"It is a relationship which has featured so much development and trade that China is now our number one trading partner in manufactured goods," Tharoor added.
He pointed out that as many as 7000 Indians were studying in China and Indian companies like Infosys were hiring Chinese workers to work for them in India.
"The world is large enough for both India and China, to fulfil the needs of their people and to be of service to humanity," he said.
"If you look at the nuts and bolts of our daily interaction on economics, we have Indian companies that have opened branches in Shanghai," the minister said.
Earlier this month, China protested to Singh's Arunachal visit and also expressed displeasure at Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama's scheduled visit to the state next month.
China's leading state-run newspapers, including People's Daily, have published editorials slamming the Indian media for the recent rise in tensions and for hyping border disputes.
Tharoor added he had a cordial exchange with the Deputy Permanent Representative of China in the UN, Liu Zhenmin, on the day such an editorial was published.
"I said this sort of thing should not be happening between our countries," Tharoor explained, indicating that the higher echelons of power on both sides did not want to see the situation worsening.
"He (Zhenmin) went out of his way to be warm and friendly and to say how much he appreciated my presence and the relations with India. I made it a point to say that we should put certain things behind us," the minister added.
Commenting on the Chinese objections to the PM's visit to Arunachal, Tharoor said: "Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of the territory of India and any Indian citizen going to Arunachal Pradesh is not the business of any third country".
Commenting on India's bid for a permanent Security Council seat, Tharoor said New Delhi is keen on the issue and is pushing "very strongly" for it.
Tharoor noted that New Delhi was taking up the matter of reform as well as India's candidacy in its dialogue with other nations.
"In our bilateral engagement we're talking about the need to move this... In my own conversation with countries that I deal with I've been reiterating this message," he added.
The new president of the General Assembly, Ali Treki, has also stressed his commitment to the reform of the Council.
Tharoor said India is also gearing up for the election for a non-permanent seat next year. The Council has 15 seats- five permanent and 10 non-permanent.
"Earnest of our commitment to shouldering more responsibility at the international community's highest levels of institutions we have put forward our candidacy for a non permanent seat in 2011-12," he said.
"We're canvassing very seriously for support," he added.
Tharoor said that India's success with as a non-permanent member will be a stepping stone for a permanent seat.
"We certainly believe that our performance in that role will again remind the world of what it is missing for not giving us a more permanent role at the high table," he said.
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