Tibet protests greet Hu on historic visit to India

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By Devika Bhat and agencies Tibetan actvists at a protest rally in Bangalore today ahead of the visit by Hu Jintao President Hu Jintao has arrived in Delhi for talks focusing on easing tensions and boosting business ties between the world’s two fastest-developing nations, in what will be the first visit to India by a Chinese head of state in a decade. But the landmark visit was already marked ahead of Mr Hu’s arrival by the presence of more than 1,000 Tibetan protestors in Delhi, chanting anti-Chinese slogans and demanding freedom for Tibet. Mr Hu - who will also take in Bombay on his four-day trip as well as a visit to the Taj Mahal - will meet Manmohan Singh, the Indian Prime Minister, as well as the country’s figurehead President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, and Sonia Gandhi, leader of the governing coalition. No groundbreaking agreement is expected to be signed during talks, but both sides say they hope the visit will create new opportunities for economic cooperation and help resolve long-running political disputes. Central to such differences is the unresolved issue of the Sino-Indian border, which dates back to a war in 1962. With the Chinese winning that conflict, the dispute still remains a sore spot for many Indians, says Jeremy Page, The Times Correspondent in Delhi. The Chinese

Ambassador last week revived the argument by declaring the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh as Chinese territory, a claim adamantly disputed by India. Relations have also been plagued by the presence in India of the Dalai Lama, who fled to the northern town of Dharmsala in 1959 after a failed uprising. Our correspondent says that while he is officially banned from conducting political activity, in reality Indian authorities turn a blind eye and the Dalai Lama is able to campaign from his Indian base for a government of Tibetan autonomy. India holds some 120,000 exiles from Tibet, many of whom today formed a vocal protest against Mr Hu’s visit, with demonstrators - led by Buddhist monks in maroon and yellow robes - holding a march hours before his arrival. They trampled on the red Chinese flag and called for an end to China’s rule of Tibet, which Chinese troops have occupied since 1951. Another source of

consternation is Beijing’s strategic alliance with Pakistan, India’s arch rival, to whom China has sold weapons and provided vital assistance with nuclear technology. After he leaves India, Mr Hu will be travelling to Pakistan, where it is expected he will sign deals on trade, culture and education. China’s economic ascendancy has also caused concern in Delhi, says Page. "India is very worried about China’s economic dominance of Asia, and has imposed various official and unofficial restrictions on Chinese investment in India," he said. "China’s ambassador has brought this up – complaining that Chinese investors are at a disadvantage in India and are not being given the same opportunities as Indians in China." Nonetheless, the fact that Mr Hu is visiting India is a powerful symbol and signifies the progress the two countries have made in developing their relations and the importance placed on boosting their economic ties in both Delhi

and Beijing. Despite the political irritants, economic ties between the two countries have grown rapidly in recent years and two-way trade is projected to reach US$20 billion this year, up from next to nothing two decades ago. India and China have already agreed a deal to work together to secure energy supplies, and earlier this year reopened a Himalayan border crossing closed 44 years ago during the border war. There has also been talk of exploring a free trade pact between the two nations.Peter H

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