CHINESE PREMIER WEN JIABAO KICKS OFF INDIA

UNCLAS CHENNAI 000695 SIPDIS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV ECON IN SUBJECT: CHINESE PREMIER WEN JIABAO KICKS OFF INDIA VISIT IN BANGALORE REF: (A) NEW DELHI 2677, (B) TELCON RAVI CANDADAI WITH OPS CENTER OF APRIL 10 1.(U) SUMMARY: Chinese Premier Wen Jaibao began his visit to India with a stop at Bangalore, India's high tech capital. During his low-key visit, Wen articulated a recurring theme of cooperation between China and India, especially in areas of information systems and technology, and the opportunities such cooperation would create. END SUMMARY. -------------- FIRST STOP BANGALORE -------------- 2.(U) Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao began his four-day visit to India on the evening of April 9 with a stop in Bangalore, south India's technology hot spot. On his s arrival he said in a statement that the purpose of his visit was to enhance China-India friendship and to promote cooperation between the two countries. On Sunday, April 10, Wen made a series of visits to Indian and Chinese high-tech organizations in the city. -------------- LOW KEY VISITS WERE THE ORDER OF THE DAY -------------- 3.(SBU) Wen's began his Sunday visits with a stop at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) where he spun an elaborate metaphor comparing China and India to twin pagodas ("Ta-Ta in Chinese signifies two pagodas," he explained). He elaborated by noting that China has had the advantage in hardware and India in software and that the two countries had much to gain by working together. He went on to say that together, China and India could usher in an "Asian century" in information technology. Post's contacts at TCS said that the visit was relaxed with the Premier and TCS CEO C. Ramadorai having about a half hour discussion that was followed by a walk around the facility. No agreements were signed and no specific announcements were made. Wen also visited the Indian Institute of Science, the country's premier science and technology research institution, Huawei Technologies which is a Chinese software development firm and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). Dr. Jacob Ninan, Program Director for International Cooperation at ISRO told Post, "This was simply a VIP visit with no substance. There were no agreements signed." Wen's comments at all of the locations he visited repeated the theme of enhanced cooperation between China and India and the opportunities that such cooperation might create. -------------- TIBETAN PROTESTOR PROVIDES SOME EXCITEMENT -------------- ¶4. (U) The only real excitement of the day came when a Tibetan protestor managed to avoid security police and climbed a tower at the Indian Institute of Science. From his perch in the administration building tower he waved a Tibetan flag and shouted anti-China slogans. The protestor identified himself as Tenzin Tsundue and said that he was general secretary of the "Friends of Tibet." This was not the first such incident involving Tsundue. In January 2002 he unfurled a similar Tibetan SIPDIS flag from a Mumbai hotel when Wen's predecessor Zhu Rongji was visiting the city. Karnataka Chief Minister Dharam Singh took the issue seriously and ordered a high-level police probe of the security breach. ¶5. (U) COMMENT: Wen's comments upon his arrival in Bangalore suggested that his visit there would be low key and focused on China-India friendship. Low key it was with no news except that made by a lone Tibetan protestor. South Indians seemed to have viewed the visit in the same way. Media coverage was understated and generally focused on meetings later on in the week in Delhi. But Wen's decision to begin his visit in Bangalore, India's I.T. capital, makes a statement about the importance China places on economic ties, especially those related to technology. Such a visit might be a small step toward an important future economic partnership. END COMMENT HAYNES