China, India must usher in Asian century: Xi
September 17, 2014, 10:00 am

Prime Minister Narendra Modi (R) and China’s President Xi Jinping (C) shake hands as Xi’s wife Peng Liyuan looks on before their meeting in the capital city of Ahmedabad, in Gujarat, India on 17 September 2014 [MEA, India]

“I am confident that as long as China and India work together, the Asian century of prosperity and renewal will surely arrive at an early date,” Xi wrote in an article in an Indian daily, The Hindu.

“Our bilateral relations have reached where they are today as a result of the following efforts: we have deepened mutual trust by strengthening strategic dialogue and enhancing political confidence; we have brought more benefits to each other by expanding the areas of cooperation and making the pie of common interests bigger,” wrote Xi.

While in Ahmedabad, Xi will visit Mahatma Gandhi’s Sabarmati Ashram and later attend a private dinner hosted by Modi in the capital city of Gujarat.

“We need to jointly develop the BCIM Economic Corridor, discuss the initiatives of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, and lead the sustainable growth of the Asian economy,” said Xi.

“We have had close coordination and cooperation on climate change, food security, energy security and other global issues and upheld the common interests of our two countries as well as the developing world as a whole,” he added.

The combination of the “world’s factory” and the “world’s back-office” will produce the most competitive production base and the most attractive consumer market, he said.

Wang Hejun, economic and commercial counselor of the Chinese embassy in India said on Wednesday China and India will sign a $6.8 billion deal to establish two industrial parks in India.

Xi quoted the iconic Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping as saying that no genuine Asian century would come without the development of China, India and other developing countries. China and India, Xi said, are “ready to shoulder this mission”.

On Tuesday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said China is committed to joint development with India.

“China and India are two important players in this multipolar world. They also represent two significant markets and civilizations. The major task facing us today is to realize our Chinese dream and Indian dream through development. China firmly stands together with India in the process of joint development,” China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said.

Xi on Tuesday appointed a new ambassador to India with Le Yucheng replacing Wei Wei.

China is looking to step up engagement with BRICS partner India even as the US reasserts its seriousness about the Asia Pivot policy announced by the Obama administration in 2009.

Xi’s visit comes ahead of Modi’s trip to visit Washington and New York at the end of the month, where US government would look to rally support for its Asia rebalancing strategy, which critics see as a policy to contain a rising China.

TBP