NEW DELHI – India, which has a large population of Tibetan exiles, said on Monday it recognised that Tibet is part of China and pledged not to allow its territory to be used for anti-China political activities. In return, China formally accepted that Sikkim state is part of “the Republic of India”. The pledges were contained in a joint statement issued after talks between visiting Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh in New Delhi.
“Both sides reviewed with satisfaction the implementation of the memorandum on the border trade through the Nathula Pass between the Tibet Autonomous Region of the Peoples Republic of China and the Sikkim State of the Republic of India,” a joint statement said.
India first acknowledged Tibet as part of China during a visit by then prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to Beijing in 2003.
“The Indian side reiterated that it recognised the Tibet Autonomous Region as part of the territory of the Peoples Republic of China and that it would not allow Tibetans to engage in anti-China political activities in India,” Monday’s joint statement said.
“The Indian side recalled that India was among the first countries to recognise that there is one China and its one China policy remains unaltered. The Indian side stated it would continue to abide by its one China policy.
“The Chinese side expressed its appreciation for the Indian positions,” it added. India has played host to Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, 69, and the Tibetan government-in-exile since he fled Tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule.
Indian Foreign Secretary, Shyam Saran told reporters that China had categorically accepted Sikkim as part of India.
“There is an explicit reference to Sikkim as an integral state of the Indian republic. New maps they have published show it as India’s territory and this map was handed to us to demonstrates that Sikkim is no longer an issue,” Saran said.
“India and China are partners and not adversaries which is the most important (thing) in the joint statement.”
