China under new leadership warming up to neighbours, state mouthpiece says

by Seva Lamberdar Wed Oct 23, 2013 1:35 pm

BEIJING: China under the new leadership is warming up to its neighbours and visits by prime ministers of India, Russia and Mongolia highlights its strong aspiration for harmony in the neighbourhood, state media said on Wednesday.

"Premier Li Keqiang welcomed three heads of government on Tuesday in a rare diplomatic coincidence. That the distinguished guests are from three of our immediate neighbours — India, Mongolia and Russia — made the occasion even more special," editorial in China Daily said.

"This is not just a hallmark of the diplomatic vibrancy of a new leadership. It also, and more importantly, highlights a strong aspiration for harmony in our neighbourhood and a pragmatic approach to achieving it," it said.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Mongolian Prime Minister Norov Altankhuyag and Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev have different topics on their agendas, but everything boils down to honouring vows of partnership, it said.

Despite the differences in ideologies, national conditions, strategic concerns and sometimes suspicion, China has secured a strategic partnership with all the three significant neighbours.

In truth, the exchanges of vows of partnership are overcoming obstacles in bilateral ties.

Closer interactions, both at leader-to-leader and people-to-people levels, remain the most effective means of confidence building, it said.

"China and India may find some degree of competition inevitable given their similar industrial structures. But distractions such as sporadic shows of disagreements can never overshadow common public aspiration, strong political will and closer economic cooperation. And mutual trust is building up in the security area," it said.

"The visits are yielding a host of bilateral agreements. But the significance of these visits will extend far beyond, especially when there is further progress on the proposed Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor and the Silk Road Economic Belt"," it said.

The new leadership of China took over earlier this year with Xi Jinping taking over as president and Li as prime minister.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/china/China-under-new-leadership-warming-up-to-neighbours-state-mouthpiece-says/articleshow/24612687.cms