China rules out strategic triangle with India, Russia

BEIJING, MAY 3. China has virtually ruled out formation of a ``strategic triangle'' with India and Russia saying Beijing preferred to develop ties with New Delhi and Moscow through ``bilateral channels''.

``Russia and India are two big neighbouring countries. We want to continue developing good-neighbourly and cooperative relationship with them based on equality and trust through bilateral channels,'' the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, Ms. Zhang Qiyue, said.

Ms. Zhang said this when asked to state the Chinese Government's stand on a ``strategic triangle'' between India, Russia and China, which was first openly mooted by the former Russian Prime Minister, Mr. Yevgeny Primakov, during his visit to New Delhi in December, 1998.

The Chinese Foreign Minister, Mr. Tang Jiaxuan, who was in Moscow last week for talks with his Russian counterpart, Mr. Igor Ivanov, had said that it was ``premature'' to talk about a strategic alliance between the three countries.

- PTI

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Section  : International
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