Two days before Indian external affairs minister Salman
Khurshid’s visit to Beijing, Chinese were preparing for a new China India
agreement that would help enhance the image of the new Xi Jinping government,
informed sources said.
Beijing is keen to overcome the image loss it has suffered
over the Ladakh incurious issue at a time when it is being blamed for enhanced military
activity in different spheres. Even on Tuesday, China was battling an
accusation from the US government, which said the Chinese military has stepped
up cyber espionage.
The Chinese foreign ministry has said that the two sides
have reached “an agreement on resolving the incident in the western section of
the border”. The statement suggested a work-in-progress situation without
explicitly saying that the problem concerning the “incident” has been resolved.
Khurshid and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, are expected
to put the stamp of political approval on the agreement reached during flag
meetings by military commanders. The stakes are high for China because Premier
Li Keqiang is making India the destination of his first foreign tour. Beijing needs
to prove it ability to get along with its neighbours, sources said.
China wants India to look beyond the border curios incident
and reach an agreement covering a broad range of issues. “Border standoffs are
somewhat inevitable in the future, but they are only petty issues against the
whole backdrop of thriving Sino-Indian relations,” the Chinese media quoted Pei
Yuanying, a former Chinese ambassador to India, as saying.
A demonstration of friendly ties with Indian can help China
handle the loss of image after its differences with sea neighbours like Japan,
Philippines and Vietnam. Sources said Indian officials are likely to take a
broader view and include issues like China’s constant arming of Pakistan during
the Khurshid visit, the new Xi jinping government is keen to overcome the image
loss it has suffered over at a time when it is being blamed for enhanced
military activity in different spheres.