23 November 2006
HU Jintao in India
(PTI; AP) Commenting on protests by Tibetans in India during the visit of President Hu Jintao, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu said Tibet was an "integral part" of its territory and the region's affairs were an "internal matter". A number of protests greeted the Chinese leader, including one where a Tibetan protestor set himself alight. During his visit, Hu and his Indian host, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, introduced a 10-point plan that aims to double bilateral trade to $40 billion by 2010. They also pledged cooperation in the field of civilian nuclear energy - heralding the possible end of decades of nuclear rivalry and suspicion. Despite the emphasis on collaboration, there were no significant breakthroughs in any of the critical areas of conflict, including border disputes, bilateral relations with Pakistan and the United States, and tension over Tibet. Nor was there any progress on a free-trade agreement. Relations between the two countries were exposed just days before the start of the state visit - the first by a Chinese president to India in 10 years - when China's ambassador to India reiterated Beijing's claim to the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh. The Indian foreign minister, Pranab Mukherjee, felt compelled to say that the state was an "integral and inalienable part of India".