India rejects proposal for trilateral summit with China, Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: India has turned down a Chinese proposal for a trilateral summit of Pakistan-China-India for sorting out differences between Pakistan and India. The proposal had come from Chinese ambassador in India Luo Zhaohui's while referring to suggestion by some “Indian Friends.” Luo Zhaohui's had earlier been Chinese ambassador in Pakistan and viewed as most senior Chinese diplomat.

Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Monday reacted to Chinese envoy Luo Zhaohui's suggestion of a trilateral summit comprising Pakistan, China and India. The Chinese envoy said at an event in New Delhi that “some Indian friends” had suggested a trilateral summit comprising Pakistan, China and India would be a “very constructive” idea.

According to media reports the MEA in a statement said, "We have not received any such suggestion from the Chinese government. We consider it as his personal opinion. Matters related to Pakistan-India relations are bilateral in nature and have no scope for any third county's involvement," a wire service reported.

Indian Congress party, too, condemned the Chinese envoy's statement. Congress leader Manish Tiwari said, “We hope the government of India will also condemn his statement. Our stand has been that issues between Pakistan and India be solved bilaterally.” The Chinese envoy to India said his country "cannot stand another Doklam incident" and also pitched a trilateral summit between Pakistan, China and India on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation or SCO. "We cannot stand another Doklam, we need to control, manage, narrow differences through expanding cooperation. The boundary question was left over by history.

We need to find a mutual acceptable solution through Special Representatives," said Ambassador Luo Zhaohui, speaking at a seminar in Delhi. The idea for a trilateral summit, said the envoy, had come from "some Indian friends". "Maybe not now, but in the future, that is the great idea," he said. ''Some Indian friends suggested that Pakistan, China and India may have some kind of trilateral summit on the sidelines of SCO. So, if China, Russia and Mongolia can have a trilateral summit, then why not Pakistan, China and India?'' he said. Luo stressed on "5Cs" to help promote China-India ties - communication, cooperation, contacts, coordination and control.

In April Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met in Wuhan to discuss bilateral issues and narrow down the differences between two Asian countries. They later met on the sidelines of the SCO and decided that the second round of informal meeting will be held in India next year. Luo said the relationship between China and India is "multifaceted and complicated, calling for special care and attention." Against the backdrop of "anti-globalization and rising protectionism", it was India and China against the pressure of established powers, said the envoy. "We should coordinate our positions and also explore ways to be with each other,'' he said.

Chinese and Indian troops were involved in a 73-day stand-off at the Doklam tri-junction of India, Bhutan and China last year. Zhaohui noted that security cooperation is one of the three pillars of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, an eight-member grouping also comprising Pakistan, China and India.

The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the Presidents of Russia, China, Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Pakistan and India became its members in 2017.