'India, China must avoid mutual paranoia'<\/p>\n
Agence France-Presse, New Delhi<\/p>\n
India and China must avoid mutual paranoia and ending up in
\n\"opposing camps\" if Asia is to take its place in the world,
\nSingapore's former premier Lee Kuan Yew was on Tuesday quoted as
\nsaying.<\/p>\n
\"Whether Asia will take its place in the world...depends on
\nhow both India and China work together as they rise and actively
\nset out to avoid ending up in opposing camps,\" Singapore's
\nfounding father said in a lecture on Monday.<\/p>\n
Lee's statements reported by The Hindu newspaper echo warnings
\nfrom Indian opposition political leaders and analysts that New
\nDelhi should not be drawn too closely into the U.S. orbit and
\nmust balance that relationship through ties with China.<\/p>\n
India's links with the United States have been warming rapidly
\namid increasing economic and military ties after the two
\ncountries were on opposite sides of the fence during the Cold
\nWar.<\/p>\n
\"They (India and China) must not be paranoid and suspicious of
\neach other in a game of one-upmanship,\" Lee told an audience that
\nincluded Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and ruling Congress party
\npresident Sonia Gandhi.<\/p>\n
\"Instead they can cooperate and compete economically, and each
\nimprove its performance by using the other's progress as
\nbenchmarks for what they should do better,\" said Lee, credited
\nwith transforming Singapore into a prosperous high-tech center.<\/p>\n
Lee also noted a recent improvement in ties between India and
\nChina whose economies have been growing rapidly. Trade is booming
\nbetween the one-time rivals who fought a brief war in 1962.<\/p>\n
The rise of India and China was changing the global balance,
\nLee said,<\/p>\n
\"Together, they account for 40 percent of the world's working
\nage population and 19 percent of the global economy\" in
\npurchasing power parity terms, he said.<\/p>\n
\"If there are no mishaps by 2050, the U.S., China, India and
\nJapan will be economic heavyweights, as will Russia if it
\nconverts its revenue from oil and gas into long term value in
\ninfrastructure and non-oil industries,\" Lee forecast.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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