Secret

18 November 1971 For HAK

President's Friday briefing

 

Sino-Indian Relations:

There are unconfirmed reports again in New Delhi that India plans imminently to raise its representation in Peking to the ambassadorial level. In part these reports may be stimulated by a recent exchange of thank-you messages for Indian support in the UNGA from Chou En­lai and Chi Peng-Fei which have received prominent press coverage in New Delhi and have been read there as another sign of Chinese willingness to improve Sino-Indian relations. Mrs. Gandhi's press conference remarks during her European tour, particularly her sug­gestion that she was even prepared to discuss Aksai Chin (the con­tested area of Kashmir "seized" by the Chinese in 1962), are also seen as evidence that India is now prepared to discuss all aspects of bilateral relations.

 

Especially in the present context of their confrontation with the Paks, the Indians would probably like to improve relations with the Chi­nese in some visible and symbolic manner. In this connection, it is worth noting that some Pakistanis are viewing the failure of Bhutto's recent mission to obtain new and visible commitments from the Chi­nese as evidence that the China-Pak relationship has changed sharply since the last Indo-Pak confrontation in 1965. Ambassador Farland reports that the belief that China might somehow intervene militarily in another clash has decreased and this, in turn, has fed a growing sense of isolation. Perhaps in an effort to offset this, the Paks an­nounced yesterday that a 12-member "high-powered" delegation led by Li Shui-Ching will arrive next week for "important" discussions with Yahya and his economic and defence advisers.

 

 

Source: Bangladesh Liberation War and the Nixon House 1971, Enayetur Rahim and Joyce L. Rahim, Pustaka Dhaka, p – 373 - 374