Chinese premier pays first visit to India

(Vatican Radio) As Tibetans protesting against the visit of the Chinese prime minister to New Delhi were held off by a vigilant police force in the capital, Mr Li Keqiang met his counterpart Dr Manmohan Singh to offer what is being fancifully called “a handshake across the Himalayas,” declaring that the two emerging economy Asian giants could well become the engine of the new economy.

This is just two weeks after a military standoff brought them together in the same mountains over a loosely-demarcated border in the north east of India.

The two countries fought a war over thousands of square kilometres of territory back in 1962, a war that many felt gave India a bloody nose, but there has not been any real fighting after that. However, the issue does crop up occasionally and is regarded by South Bloc in Delhi as a stumbling block in some areas of bi-lateral relations between the two countries.

It was a very relaxed looking Chinese premier that addressed the media after closed door meetings today during which as many as eight agreements were signed.

The visit is to last three days.

"We had wide ranging and candid discussions on various issues of mutual interest. While seeking an earlier resolution on the boundary issue, both sides agreed that peace and tranquility on the border must be preserved," Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said after talks with his Chinese counterpart.

Mr Li Keqiang countered by saying that he wanted to build trust and co-operation on this trip, his first to the country.

In the closed door talks, Dr Singh is reported to have told his Chinese counterpart that friction on the border could affect friendly relations. At the same time, he urged the latter to do more to redress the trade imbalance of 29 billion dollars with China, at a time when India is struggling with a record current account gap that is its main economic weak point.

As expected, the meeting also discussed the Dalai Lama who is head of a Tibetan government in exile living in the north of India since he fled Tibet in the late 1950s. The Dalai Lama, considered a separatist by China, has always been a sore point with that government, but India has also equally made it clear that there can be no discussion on his position as an honoured guest of the country.
The two prime ministers also touched on the issue of easier access to China’s pharmaceuticals and IT industry.

After India, Mr Li Keqiang goes on to Pakistan, Switzerland and Germany.

Listen to Carol Andrade full report: