WTN-L World Tibet Network News

Published by: The Canada Tibet Committee

Monday, November 27, 2000

NEW DELHI, Nov 26 (AFP) - China is India's biggest rival in New Delhi's bid

to become a world leader in the new millennium, Defence Minister George

Fernandes was quoted by the Press Trust of India as saying Sunday.

Fernandes told boy scouts at a ceremony here that China overshadowed India

in everything -- from sports to trade to overall excellence.

Referring to projections by some experts that India would be a world leader

in this millennium, he said: "Several countries are in that race. We should

particularly look at China and see how ahead of us it has gone in all

fields.

"We cannot make it our millennium without overcoming those challenges."

Fernandes, an old sympathiser of the Tibetan freedom movement, had attracted

wide criticism during his previous stint as defence minister for reportedly

calling China, India's "enemy number one."

He later claimed he had been misquoted.

Fernandes on Sunday said: "China has not become a powerful country

overnight. It is the result of decades of hard work.

"China won 59 medals, including 28 gold, in the Sydney Olympics as against

our single bronze. Its per capita is 900 dollars as against our 500 dollars.

Its 182 billion dollar exports this year was five times more than our measly

30 billion dollars."

Fernandes said China's foreign exchange reserves stood at 160 billion US

dollars, whereas India's totalled a mere 32 billion dollars.

"And this does not include Hong Kong," he added.

"Their foodgrain production is 508 million tonnes and ours is 205 million

while the population difference is hardly 10 to 15 percent," he said.