China hopes Indo-U.S. ties will promote peace

BEIJING, APRIL 2. China, which is getting increasingly suspicious of the gameplan of the United States in South Asia, has said it hopes that the increasing bonhomie between Washington and New Delhi would not be detrimental to peace and stability in the region.

China hopes that India-U.S. relations will develop in such a manner as to facilitate peace, security and stability in South Asia, the Foreign Minister, Mr. Tang Jiaxuan, told PTI here in an interview.

Commenting for the first time on the U.S. President, Mr. Bill Clinton's ground-breaking tour of Bangladesh, India and Pakistan last month, Mr. Tang said China had closely watched the trip.

``The Chinese side has followed closely president Clinton's visit to the three countries in South Asia,'' he said, adding that at the same time the development of U.S.- India relations was a matter between the two countries.

His reaction comes in the wake of comments in China's State-run media of a strategic shift in Washington's South Asia policy by courting India and sidelining Pakistan which is Beijing's closest ally.

During Mr. Clinton's visit, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) mouthpiece, The liberation army daily, had commented that China and Russia would be attentive to Washington's attempts to increase its strategic influence in South Asia.

Reacting to a question on the South Asian nuclear issue, Mr. Tang maintained that there was no change in Beijing's policy that both India and Pakistan must renounce their nuclear weapons development programmes.

Asked why China was insisting that India must adhere to the UN Security Council resolution on the South Asian nuclear issue, he said, ``to the best of my knowledge, none of the nuclear countries have recognised the nuclear status of India.'' Mr. Tang noted that Panchsheel played a positive role in resolving some historical problems between China and India through consultation.

- PTI

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