China trying to improve ties with India: think-tank

From K J M Varma
Beijing (PTI) - China is trying to bring about a
course correction to improve its relations with India while
keeping its close strategic ties with Pakistan intact,
according to a prominent Chinese think-tank on Wednesday.
"Chinese policy is clear. While developing relations
with Pakistan will do no harm to India-China relations.
Similarly China-India relations will not be at the expense of
China-Pakistan relations," said Cuil Liru, President of China
Institutes of Contemporary International Relations.
To emphasise his point, Cuil told foreign journalists
here on Wednesday that in future India and Pakistan will
understand China's policy. It will be understood by more and
more people in the region.
Acknowledging that people in India has a different
perception of close China-Pakistan relations, with
apprehensions that it's targeted against India, he said the
Sino-India relations looked up despite this.
"China-India, China-Pakistan relations have different
backgrounds. People in India have a different opinion about
this. Some thought China-Pak relationship targeted India. In
my opinion it is an unnecessary concern," he said.
He tacitly acknowledged that China's policy to improve
ties with India was guided by India's rise in status following
its progress in recent years.
"At present development in India is much more
noticeable than Pakistan. India enjoys much more status than
Pakistan," he said.
Whereas Pakistan faced difficult situation inside and
outside compared to India in view of the rise of militancy. It
is understandable for China to help Pakistan to tide over the
difficult situation as China is friendly neighbour of
Pakistan, he said.
But any improvement in situation in Pakistan is
conducive to India and the region, he added.
China's policy to improve ties with India was also
borne by the observation that India-Pakistan relations may
take a long time to improve considering the complex issues, he
said.
A similar sentiment was expressed by Chinese Foreign
Ministry official recently at an informal briefing quoting a
Chinese proverb which says that "when we make new friends, we
don't forget old ones".
If Pakistan is forced into serious troubles, it's not
good for India, Pakistan or China, he said.