China proposes joint mining of Indian Ocean ahead of Modi's visit to Beijing

Large deposits of gold and silver are discovered in Indian Ocean


Web Desk May 07, 2015
Deputy director of the association, Zongyu terms India as an 'ideal partner'. PHOTO: PTI

BEIJING: A week before Indian Prime Minister Narendara Modi is set to visit the country, China said it was 'eager to cooperate' with India on deep sea mining in the Indian Ocean where large deposits of gold and silver have reportedly been discovered.

Read: Modi to ramp up help for Indian Ocean nations to counter China influence

"With quickening oceanic development and increasing mineral exploration in the Indian Ocean, China is eager to cooperate with India on deep seabed mining," China Ocean Mineral Resource R&D Association, China's official body dedicated for exploration and development of the ocean floor and subsoil, stated.

Read: India's Modi to make first visit to rival giant China

Calling India an 'ideal partner', deputy director of the association He Zongyu said there would be numerous chances for cooperation between the two countries in the future as they are both developing countries and common contractors with the International Seabed Authority (ISA).

PHOTO: XINHUA

Deputy Director of the State Oceanic Administration, Chen Lianzeng, during his tour to India in April, suggested that not only should the neighbouring countries cooperate on oceanic research and development but also share the costs, risks and benefits of the project.

Deep seabed mining is high-cost and high-risk work, with costs for a mining site topping $1.6 billion, Lianzeng said.

Read: Indian Ocean to become India’s ocean: report

The early proposal from Beijing came in immediately after Jiaolong, China's deep sea-manned submersible reported large deposits of gold and silver were discovered in southwest Indian Ocean.

PHOTO: REUTERS

Modi is expected to hold formal and informal talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang in Xi'an and Beijing, during his three-day visit to China on May 14.

This article originally appeared on Times of India

COMMENTS (15)

ask | 9 years ago | Reply @Ibrar: If you are representing PRC & get vicarious pleasure out of China's victory to compensate for pain of your loss you are like a Pak-cricket fan who having lost to India is thrilled that India lost to Australia. Admittedly, that equation has a school-boyish charm about it. For some. Now, did I mention a word about Pakistani surrender of 1971 or the course of war? I didn't! I mentioned you couldn't hold on to your people for more than 25 years. How can you deserve Kashmiris, let alone Juanagrhis & Hyderabadis? India didn't win, you lost horribly. We lost to China a battle & land but not our people; you lost fellow-Pakistanis for ever & you are not bothered!! Strange! Only role of '71 I assigned to India & to Indira was "midwifery". Old fashioned term, I admit. Do you know what that means & if you are too young to know will you please seek guidance from your respected parents?
Ibrar | 9 years ago | Reply @ask: Sensible Indians would normally avoid mentioning their malicious role in Bangladesh episode because it reminds them their own trauma of 1962. Do not say you have forgotten it or was not born yet. You can not erase your army's shameful rout from your memory because the humiliation that you suffered at the hands of Chinese has been printed on Indian genes with an indelible ink. If you happen to be too young your dad must have told you as a duty how your soldiers fled from their lines as soon as they saw the Chines approaching.They simply disappeared into holes. Humiliation was so painful and still is that Indians still today goose bump with a cold shiver running down their spine. Can you really talk about 1971.
VIEW MORE COMMENTS
Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ