‘Gentle breeze’ begins to blow in Sino-Indian affairs

Beijing: In what can only be construed as a concerted move, both China and India now appear to be tamping down rhetoric being exchanged by both sides over Arunachal Pradesh and related issues. An editorial in the People's Daily, the mouthpiece of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC), says the recent meeting between Chinese premier Wen Jiabao's and his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh was "just like a gentle breeze" which helped clear up the "suspicion and misunderstanding" clouding bilateral ties.

Indian water resources minister PK Bansal further fanned the 'gentle breeze' by playing down concerns over reports that China was attempting to dam the waters of the Brahmaputra. He let slip, interestingly, that China had already built 15 on the Upper Brahmaputra (Yarlung Tsangpo). (See: India downplays Chinese activity on the Brahmaputra)

The breeze blows gently on the Brahmaputra

At a bi-weekly press briefing today, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, Ma Zhaoxu, fanned the breeze some more. "China is a responsible country and will not do anything to damage the interests of others," he said. He was asked to comment on reports that China was building a dam on the Upper Brahmaputra.

A few days earlier he was spitting fire over the proposed visit by Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, to Arunachal Pradesh.

"The Dalai Lama often lies and often engages in acts to sabotage China's relations with other countries," he said at a regular news briefing. "I am confident that his scheme to wreck China's relations with the relevant country will come to nothing."