India's ganging up with US can confine its global ties: Natwar

Chennai, Feb 28 (PTI) Predicting that China will not
indulge in any "adventurous" foreign policy in the next two
decades, India's former External Affair Minister Natwar Singh
Saturday said the country should not "gang up" with US to keep
the Chinese influence down as it "confines country's global
ties".

"There is a school of thought which says India, along
with the US, should keep the Chinese influence down. I don't
approve it as China will be concentrating to raise the
standard of living of its people in the next 15-20 years and
will not indulge in any adventurous foreign policy, especially
regarding India," Singh said during the release of his book,
"My China Diary -1956-88".

The "tranquil and peaceful" Sino-Indian borders were
proof of good bilateral relations though both nations were
aware of the border dispute, he said.

"India has an independent foreign policy and therefore
should not gang up with the US to keep the Chinese influence
down. In fact, we should gang up with nobody as it confines
our global ties," he said.

The country should have good relations with all
countries, including UK, Japan and others by practising its
independent foreign policy, he said.

India and China had enjoyed good relations till the
1962 war and it was not before 1988 during then Prime Minister
Rajiv Gandhi's Chinese visit, that things changed, he said.

Tamil Nadu Governor Surjit Singh Barnala, who released
the book, commended Singh for his effort.

Hailing Rajiv Gandhi's visit to China in 1988 as his
"major foreign policy achievement" after putting "1962 behind
him," Barnala said that the visit "unfreezed Sino-Indian
relations and began a new chapter in the bilateral relations."

"The 1962 stain has disappeared and now they are
frontrunners in Asia. India and China are busy in redefining
their mutual ties for peace, stability and prosperity,"
Barnala said, adding that bilateral trade had also gone up.
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