Copenhagen, Saturday 19 December 2009: China respects India on the basis of equality and the China-US joint statement on South Asia did not target India, said Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao after a meeting of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the sidelines of the Copenhagen summit here on Friday.

“Premier Wan made reference to the joint statement issued between China and the United States following the visit of President Barack Obama to China recently.

He said that the formulation of the certain section of that joint statement relating to South Asia was not directed or targeted at India. China respects India on the basis of equality,” said the Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao during a special media briefing on the sidelines of the informal plenary of Head of States/Governments at the 15th Conference of the Parties (CoP) at Copenhagen.

During a visit to China last month President Barack Obama said both countries had agreed to work together to bring stability to the South-Asian region. India responded aggressively to the purported US-China intent when New Delhi made clear that a third party role was not necessary to settle the India-Pakistan dispute.

Over relations between the two neighbours, Rao said that India and China agreed to maintain peace on their disputed border.

“People of India want good relations with China. Pending the resolution of outstanding issues between the two countries, we should maintain the peace and tranquillity in our border areas. He also agreed, without the sustained development of India and China, the 21st century couldn’t be an Asian century,” said the Indian Foreign Secretary.

(News agency)