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New Delhi: A Chinese
company Thursday signed a accord for investing $400 million in
Gujarat, but a row erupted when China's ambassador Zhang Yan asked
an Indian journalist to "shut up" when he questioned the company's
brochure showing a map of India minus Arunachal Pradesh and parts
of Jammu and Kashmir.
India was prompt to take up the issue, with the Chinese envoy
assuring that the mistake will be rectified.
TBEA, a Chinese heavy equipment company, inked a memorandum of
understanding for investing around $400 million in two stages for
manufacturing transformers in Gujarat.
The company is part of the business delegation Nur Bekri, governor
of the Muslim-majority Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China,
has brought to India to explore two-way investment opportunities.
The brochure of the Chinese company, which was circulated at a
business function, carried a map of India on its front page
depicting Arunachal Pradesh as part of the Chinese territory and
parts of Jammu and Kashmir as part of the Pakistan-administered
Kashmir, evoking consternation among journalists.
When Chinese ambassador Zhang Yan was asked for his reaction, the
envoy first said it's "a technical issue". However, when he
continued to be pressed, he lost his cool and said "shut up",
triggering much outrage among the media there.
"We will handle this. We are working for friendlier ties with
India...this will not help. We are handling this in a friendly
way." Zhang said he raised the issue with the company. "So what
can I do for you?"
China claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of its territory. The issue
is part of boundary talks between India and China.
India and China will hold the 15th round of boundary talks in New
Delhi November-end.
Gautam Bambawale, joint secretary in charge of China in the
external affairs ministry, promptly took up the issue with the
Chinese ambassador and conveyed his objections.
The envoy admitted that it was a mistake and he will have it
rectified soon, reliable sources told IANS.
The envoy also said that it was a private company and should not
be seen as a reflection of the Chinese position.
Zhang, on his part, admitted that Bambawale brought up the issue,
but declined to say anything more than that it was a technical
issue.
"This is a technical issue. We handle these issues. Your joint
secretary has mentioned and I have said that we will look into
this." "I have talked to our people. So, what can I do for you,"
the Chinese diplomat told the journalist.
Zhang added that " 'shut up' is not something that changes the
nature of these things because we are handling this in a friendly
way".
Bekri, who began his four-day visit to India Thursday, has been
invited by the Indian government under the India-China
Distinguished Visitors' Programme.
Speaking at a business meet organised by the CII, Bekri invited
Indian companies to scale up two-way trade and investment.
He met Vice President Hamid Ansari, Commerce and Industry Minister
Anand Sharma and Tourism Minister Subodh Kant Sahai. Bekri will go
to Agra Friday and to Mumbai Saturday, where he is expected to
seek business and tourism linkages between his province and India.
The visit by regional leaders has become a trend of sorts in
India-China relations and is aimed at promoting greater mutual
understanding of each other's trajectory of socio-economic
development.
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