"Through the visit by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Indian Prime Minister to China, I take an optimistic view of the development of Sino-Indian relations. No pessimistic view whatsoever is necessary here. As to the Indian-USA relationship it's quite natural for India to set great store by it because of the comprehensive national strength, economic strength, international status and influence of the USA. And for India, I don't think that there exists a simple question as to take or leave it," answered Zhou Gang, the former ambassador. In 1998, he was in terms of office as Chinese ambassador to India while before that he had been working in Bangladesh, Pakistan and other south Asian countries. Now he has retired but working at the posts as a specially-invited researcher by the Chinese Foreign Ministry, secretary-general on Chinese side for Sino-Indian Celebrities Forum and senior advisor for the Institution of China International Strategy.

For the first time India recognizes that Tibet is part of the Chinese territory when Vajpayee was on his visit to China. With regard to this, Zhou Gang is of opinion that it is of positive significance for restricting the disruptive activities of the Dalai Clique. For many years the Dalai Clique has been in India, engaged in political activities against China, for which China has made many a time of representations with the Indian side. India expresses that no activities of the Dalai Clique are allowed to take in India in opposition to China, recognizing that Tibet is an autonomous region of China.

For a long time the Dalai Clique has been engaged in political activities against China in India, introduced Ambassador Zhou, including making riots in front of the Chinese embassy in India, harassing the regular working order, and threatening the safety of the working personnel, of the Chinese embassy there. The embassy has made representations to the Indian side, and in turn, the Indian side has adopted some necessary measures. Through the contacts by the Chinese foreign officials with the Tibetans in India, we've got to know that they don't know much about the situation in Tibet but deeply influenced by the propaganda of the Dalai Clique. They would like to have a chance to go back to Tibet and see what is happening there, hoping that the relation between China and India can be further developed and China will get stronger day by day.

'Poet Prime Minister' Chants a Poem in Praise of Sino-Indian Friendship

As Ambassador Zhou Gang revealed when exchanging views over the net, Vajpayee, renowned as a "poet prime minister" has, just after his visit to China, composed an impromptu poem at a reception party in praise of China's development and the friendship between the two countries. Ambassador Zhou Gang, who has for many a time met with Vajpayee, evaluated by saying, Vajpayee has been working in the political field for score of years. Now it's the third time for him to assume the post of Prime minister and he's rich with experience in the political work. Zhou Gang said, "many times I met Vajpayee when working in India and my impression is that he is an amiable and prudent political leader. He is also a famous poet for he has published his collection of poems.

Not long after Ambassador Zhou Gang arrived in India in April 1998, the Sino-Indian relation suffered a great setback and a slump due to the India's nuclear test. In accordance with the direction and policy of the Chinese government, the Chinese embassy made a great effort to promote the restoration and development of the Sino-Indian relationship, including the increase in mutual belief and understanding and reducing the impression of the so-called China threat then in existence among the Indian people, thereby expanding continuously the trades and friendly exchanges between the two countries. The three years saw the Sino-Indian trade value to increase on a large scale, a rise of US$ 1.82 billion in 1998 to US$ 3.59 billion in 2001.

When answering the questions by net-user friends including the author of this article Ambassador Zhou offered us a piece of his impression he got at his working post in India. First, the Sino-Indian relationship obtained its restoration and development after India's nuclear test. This indicates that India takes account of its relations with China, the Indian people treasure the friendship with the Chinese people while the five principles of peaceful co-existence mutually advocated by the two countries have their vigor and vitality. Second, the Indian economy has witnessed a quicker development in recent years, especially in the information industry with its software product export to rank in the forefront of the world and in this respect China and India can learn from and complement with each other. Third, India practices a foreign policy of balancing among the big nations while the Indian people wish to rejuvenate India and play a bigger role in international affairs.

Should Be Able to Find Some Ways for Solving the Leftover Problems

As to the problems between China and India left over from history, Zhou Gang mainly dealt with the boundary questions of the two countries and those with the other two close neighbors of Bhutan and Sikkim. Zhou Gang is ascertained that China and India will eventually over the boundary question reach "a fair and reasonable solution acceptable to both sides". The ambassador said, Sikkim had kept a close relation with the Tibet of China and it was reduced to be a British protectorate when India was under the rule of the British colonialism and India succeeded the status when it obtained its independence. And then afterwards in 1975 it declared Sikkim to be a state of India. As to the stand of the Chinese government on this question Zhou Gang expressed in a typically diplomatic way, "the Chinese government expressed its own attitude at that time."

As for Bhutan, said Zhou Gang, Bhutan is a neighborly country of China and there exists traditional friendship between the Chinese and Bhutanese peoples. Though so far there is no diplomatic relations between China and Bhutan (Bhutan is a country, the only one in Asia having no diplomatic relation with China), yet there are various channels for contacts between the two. "When I was working in India, I was twice invited to visit Bhutan and was cordially welcomed by the King and the Bhutanese government. I personally felt that the Bhutanese government took a great account of the development for the diplomatic relations of the two countries and the friendly feelings of the Chinese and Bhutanese peoples. As to the establishment of Sino-Bhutanese relations I personally take an optimistic attitude towards it. Of course, we have to respect the decision on the part of the Bhutanese government in this aspect."

To Increase Understanding Through More Exchange

Ambassador Zhou also revealed a trade opportunity, about which he said, India has a relatively fragile infrastructure, lack of power and a certain disparity in household electric apparatus as compared to that in China. Therefore, in these aspects the Chinese enterprises can bring their own superiority into play to tap actively for the Indian market and they can play a very big role over there. As introduced, the import by China from India mainly includes chromium ores, cotton textile goods, iron and steel, chemical materials, gems, leather goods and so on while China's export to India covers coke, semi-coke, raw silk, mechanic and electric products as well as medical products.

"Say, a Chinese student wants to go to India for postgraduate study, whether s/he'll be restricted?" asked a net-user friend.

China and India should strengthen their exchange and cooperation in the field of education. If a Chinese student wants to study in India s/he won't in general be restricted. As I know, so far there is quite a number of Chinese students studying in the institutes of higher learning in India. Nevertheless, Ambassador Zhou also expressed frankly, up to now, there is not much exchanges between China and India and still lack of understanding in many aspects. Under such circumstances, it is even more imminent to increase exchanges and mutual understandings.

(People's Daily July 2, 2003)