India and China agree to form partnership

Yahoo ^ | 11 April 2005 | AP

[Jeff Head]

NEW DELHI - India and China, the world's two most populous countries, agreed on Monday to create a "strategic partnership" in an effort to end their longstanding border dispute and boost trade and economic cooperation.

The agreement signaled a significant shift in relations between the two Asian giants after decades of mutual distrust and suspicion.

"India and China can together reshape the world order," Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said after a welcome ceremony for his Chinese counterpart, Premier Wen Jiabao, at India's presidential palace.

Together the two nations account for one-third the world's population.

The statement announcing the partnership was signed by both premiers and said the agreement would promote diplomatic relations, economic ties and contribute to the two nations "jointly addressing global challenges and threats."

India-China relations have "acquired a global and strategic character," it said.

"The leaders of the two countries have therefore agreed to establish an India-China strategic and cooperative partnership for peace and prosperity," the statement said.

...more

[Jeff Head]

Absolute shades of The Dragon's Fury Series. A little too close for comfort quite frankly.

We'd (the US) best get much more serious about courting India IMHO.

[Jeff Head]

FYI.

[Bahbah]

Jeff, I need to borrow that crystal ball of yours.

[Srirangan]

India would never enter into a strategic partnership with China, as long as China sustains Pak. Same case with America. All these reports is just ignorant media hype.

All India and China have agreed to do is to put their clashing claims of territory in the backseat, maintain peace along the border, and solve the dispute on the basis of the current status quo.

Plus ofcourse boost trade. FTA is being talked about. India is perhaps the only country in the world which has a favorable trade balance with China. Fears of the Chinese Threat of flooding the Indian markets ended long ago and a reverse is being spoken about (See Link).

[datura]

The fact that we may have missed the boat on India is shameful - no, nearly criminal negligence. All for a few al Qaida in custody by Pakistan.

[Jeff Head]

No crystal ball. We have been cozing up to India's perceived most dangrous threat (Pakistan) for years. They (the Indians) have been buying Russian stuff as a counter...and now they are getting closer to China. It was there (IMHO) for anyone to see and now it is starting to materialze, despite reservations and past history.

Nobody thought Stalin and Hitler would get together at the start of WWII like they did...yet they did and until Germany conducted Operation Barbarosa, it drove our military and political planners crazy. This would have the same effect, particularly if it grew into something more.

[anniegetyourgun]

Wish I could get into Condi's head.....

[Jeff Head]

This would indicate differently.

"Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, left, and India Prime Minister Manmohan Singh shake hands during their talks in New Delhi, India, Monday, April 11, 2005. Indian and Chinese leaders Monday agreed to a strategic partnership between the two emerging Asian giants, sealing it with accords aimed at ending a long-standing border dispute and boosting bilateral trade and economic cooperation. "

Try and read the article, the two foreign ministers are holding up the document. I am afraid that this economic partnership is more than hype...disbelief aside.

[mainepatsfan]

Not as crazy as it drove the British and French at the time.

[Jeff Head]

I hope we haven't missed it yet. We need to make sure that we counter these economic agreements with stronger ones of our own, and then get MUCH closer to them (India) militarily IMHO.

[Jeff Head]

Amen to that...without that other front, D-Day would have been almost impossible.

[Jeff Head]

Well I am off to work and a three-day business trip...if it comes off...will check back on this on Wednesday evening if I go. Otherwise, later today.

[mainepatsfan]

I guess you could say that. One wonders how long Britain could have held out if Hitler had focused on knocking them out before turning on Stalin.

[Jeff Head]

Would have been tough in any case...he had to get across the Channel...best shot at that was very soon after Dunkirk IMHO.

But several million men were thrown at Russia...if he'd taken two million of those and applied them in the west...who knows?

I'm glad the maniac split his efforts. It let us beat him all the quicker...and that was a tough nut as it was.

[indthkr]

Related thread:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1380983/posts

[Saberwielder]

You're right.

Curiously, some former Indian officials and diplomats I spoke to were exceedingly suspicious of China. Their view was that China has always tried to constrain India by proppoing up Pakistan wil nuclear and missile sales. But they feel that given their geographical location, it would be stupid not to take advantage of it for trade.

To paraphrase what one Indian diplomat told me recently - "In essence, the US and China both prop up Pakistan and enable it to get away with sponsoring terorrism against India as well as spreading nukes around the world. The difference is China makes it clear that it won't stop supporting Pakistan while the US patronizes us on democracy and "shared values" while propping up Pakistani dictators behind the scenes. So why should India agree to become an American tool against China? India might as well make the best out of the situation and stay neutral while freeing up business ties with China."

[minus_273]

missed the boat? india was a warsaw pact ally and a socialist state.. they fly migs and use AKs. heck they hate the US so much coke used to be banned there.

[mainepatsfan]

I think even Hitler after 1940 realized a cross channel invasion would be very difficult. Even if the Luftwaffe had established air superiority over Britain it would have been very tough. They probably would have focused on the u-boat blockade and attacking the British in the Mediterranean.

[Srirangan]

No it doesn't. They're just exchanging the the settlement doc's of the border dispute.

[Americanexpat]

Finally, someone who remembers. Use India as a second front? Bullpuckey. These SOBs did not need the excuse of Pakistan to not help us. They have never helped us.