New Delhi: Disagreeing with Chinese
Ambassador`s view that Sino-Indian ties were fragile, Foreign
Secretary Nirupama Rao on Thursday said they were much more "strong"
now as compared to three decades back.
"India-China relations, if you go by the record of
three decades at least, I would, in fact, argue that it has
become stronger. That the foundations have become much more
stable," Rao said when asked if she agreed with China`s
Ambassador to India Zhang Yan`s remarks that India-China
relations were very fragile and required special care.
While addressing a conference earlier this week, Zhang
had said that "China-India relations are very fragile and very
easy to be damaged and very difficult to repair. Therefore,
they need special care in the information age."
Rao said, "It is true that there is a certain
tendency, perhaps, to regard... certain angles of the
relationship are focused on, and given a certain eminence and
certain prominence.
"But we who are actually practicing it (diplomacy)
understand that this interaction between India and China has
grown over the years and has become far more stable and
foundations are far stronger than they were 20 years or 30
years ago," she said.
She said "they have become stronger, the foundation of
this relationship has become much more stable.
"I certainly don`t subscribe to what I shall say
extreme judgements about fragility or the fact that one issue
on which we have a difference or one issue of complexity can
shake the relationship at its very foundation," the Foreign
Secretary said, but added quickly that it no way means that
she was discrediting the Chinese envoy`s professional
capacities.
"He is an excellent diplomat," she added.
PTI
