The Prime Minister has declared that India's relationship with China has improved. Will he repeat this even after the "lesson" the Chinese taught Vietnam? Do not merely quote a sentence from a statement and come to conclusions. I want to know what is the personal assessment of the Prime Minister? Does he think that the process India has initiated will give her any profitable and useful results? The statement made by the government leaders unilaterally gives an impression of a discussion between both sides and a proposal that there should be an agreement of peace and friendship. This has been the result of the "euphoria" created by the Government. I am making the limited point that people would be misled by the "euphoria" created by projecting the fact that Vajpayee's visit to China has brought about friendship between the two countries. There are many complex Problems between India and China. China's attitude towards its neighbours in this region and its international policy will have to be taken into account. There has to be a very clear Assessment. If one starts creating hopes and tries to go into, the old "Bhai-Bhai" period, one would be repeating the same mistakes made in the past.
Reservaticms on Non-alignment
I am very glad indeed that after the visit of the foreign minister to China, the Soviet Prime Minister visited India. The Soviet Union and India have signed an agreement. They have done a good balancing act. I am prepared to pay compliments wherever deserved. In the beginning I had mentioned that there are several important criteria by which the foreign policy of the country has to be judged.
The policy towards the neighbours is one. The second is the work India is doing in the international sphere. India has two different roles: the first is as a sponsoring member of the nonaligned movement and the second is its work in the United Nations. The contribution India makes to the non-aligned movement is important. India has to find out how the movement is functioning and what direction it is taking. I have no grievance about the functioning of the Government in this respect in the last two years. The Government has participated in all important meetings of the non-aligned movement, the co-ordination bureau and the foreign ministers meetings. The summit meeting of the non-aligned is yet to take place. The Government has taken the right positions at the right time in the non-aligned meetings. It is good that the Government has in this regard been carrying on the policy laid down by Nehru.