(May 13, 1959)

Generally speaking, India is a friendly country toward China and has been so for over 1,000 years. We believe it will still be like this for the next 1,000 or 10,000years.

The enemy of the Chinese people is in the east, where the US imperialists have lots of military bases in Taiwan, South Korea, Japan and the Philippines, all directed against China. China's attention and policy of struggle are focused on the East, on the western Pacific areas, and on the ferocious and aggressive US imperialists, not on India, not on the countries of Southeast Asia. Although the Philippines, Thailand, and Pakistan joined the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization, aimed against China, we do not regard these three countries as our principal enemies.

Our principal enemy is US imperialism. India did not join the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization. India is not our enemy, but our friend. China will not be so stupid as to make an enemy of the U.S. in the east and an enemy of India on the west. The suppression of the rebellion in Tibet and the democratic reform there will not pose the slightest threat to India. There is a Chinese saying, "As distance tests a horse's strength, so time reveals a person's heart." You will be able to judge whether the relationship between China's Tibet and India is friendly or hostile for the next three, five, ten, and even 100 years. We cannot have two focal points.

We cannot take a friend as our enemy. This is our basic policy. The quarrels between our two countries in recent years, especially for the last three months, are merely an episode in the course of the thousands of years of friendship and should not be of concern to the peoples and government authorities of our two countries. The remarks we made in previous paragraphs of this speech-the principled stands and boundary lines between right and wrong-should be discussed. Otherwise, the present differences between our two countries cannot be solved.

But the scope our remarks refer to is only temporary and specific; namely, it is a momentary difference between our two countries, concerning Tibet alone. What do you think, Indian friends? Do you agree with our opinion? Regarding the view that China can focus its attention only to the east and cannot, nor is it necessary to, focus its attention to the southwest, China's leader, Chairman Mao Zedong, on several occasions spoke with India's former ambassador to China, Mr. Nehru, and Ambassador Nehru could well understand and appreciate China's view on this matter. I have no idea if the former Indian ambassador has conveyed these words to the Indian authorities. Friends, China does not assume that you can have two battlefronts either; isn't that so? If so, that is our meeting point. Please think about it. Please allow me to take this opportunity to extend my regards to the Indian leader, Mr. Nehru.

(PLA Daily)