China’s border talks with Vietnam, Malaysia to impact Singh’s visit

By Saibal Dasgupta, TNN

BEIJING: Beijing is handling its border problems with neighbours such as Vietnam and Malaysia in ways that are bound to impact discussions on the India-China border dispute when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrives here on a three-day visit on October 22.

India and China are expected to sign Border Defence Cooperation Agreement during PM’s visit. (Reuters)

In a sharp departure from the past acrimony over their border dispute, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Tuesday called on Chinese and Vietnamese youths to contribute towards the promotion of the two countries’ traditional friendship. It is rare for Communist China to infuse emotional content into foreign relations like it did during the pre-1962 “bhai-bhai” days with India.

Chinese leaders are trying to mend fences with rivals involved in rows over the ownership of islands in the South China Sea, including Vietnam and Malaysia. The efforts are aimed at overcoming China’s image as a quarrelsome neighbour and reducing the influence of the US and Japan in Asia, observers say.

“Whether the South China Sea issue is properly handled or not is not only an emotional matter between the two peoples, but also a matter of politics and security circumstances for expanding large-scale cooperation, including infrastructure investment,” Li told leaders in Hanoi, less than a year since China bitterly criticized Vietnam’s attitude towards the sea disputes.

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