Chi wants better ties with India, but no meddling from Dalai Lama'

Chinese Ambassador interacts with Tarun Gogoi

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, April 17: Chi wants to mend its sore relations with India, but not the Dalai Lama meddling in the bilateral ties between the two Asian giants.

Chinese Ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui and his wife Counsellor Dr. Jiang Yilli met former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, his wife Dolly Gogoi and Kaliabor MP Gaurav Gogoi at Koidhara in the city last night. During their interactions, Gogoi raised the issue of sore Sino-Indian ties.

Addressing the press today, the former State Chief Minister quoted the Chinese Ambassador as saying that ‘Chi always wants better ties with India, but not meddling from the Dalai Lama on issues between of the two countries’.

The outburst from the Chinese Ambassador is significant in the aftermath of the recent visit of the Dalai Lama to Assam and Aruchal Pradesh.

According to Gogoi, responding to his concern over the construction of hydropower projects by Chi in the upper reaches of the Brahmaputra the visiting Chinese Ambassador told him that ‘Chi continues to share hydrological information with India’. Gogoi quoted the Chinese ambassador to have assured him that he (Zhaohui) would look into any adverse impact of these hydropower projects’.

Responding to a question from Gogoi on Northeast insurgent groups taking shelter in Chi, the Ambassador rejected the information outright as false. Zhaohui also said that ULFA chief Paresh Baruah had no role in his visit to Assam. Grapevines are doing rounds in the State that the Chinese team has been visiting Assam following an understanding between Paresh Baruah and Chi.

On the construction of Stillwell Road, the Chinese Ambassador evinced his interest in repairing the road to improve connectivity with India via the One-Belt Road Project. Zhaohui was open to the idea of the Chi-Pakistan economic corridor being expanded to Chi-India-Kashmir, besides reviewing the part of the Chi-Pakistan economic corridor that runs through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Gogoi said that the visiting Ambassador expressed his concern over the treatment being meted out to the Second World War cemetery of Chinese soldiers at Lekhapani. “He wants that the cemetery be protected from encroachment and be further beautified,” Gogoi quoted Zhaohui as telling him.