No stand that affects our relations with China: Tharoor

“China is an important country and trade with that country was growing. We must keep relations with China and cannot afford to lose that,” he said.

China has overtaken even US in trade, he said.

India has given asylum to many Tibetan leaders in the past. The values, rights and democratic principles of India, Tibet and China should be considered in a free world society, he said.

“We have to honour our democratic principles while responding to their rights to a free society.”

However, he said he was not challenging China’s claim to Tibet.

Union Government has recognised that “we have to respect China and Tibet and our own democratic values”.

Asked about the likely boycott of the Olympics by many countries, he said that is for individual governments to decide.

They should certainly go. China is an important country, he said.

On the book on Indo-Pakistan cricket, which Tharoor is co-authoring with former Pakistan cricket board Chairman Sharyar Khan, he said the work was on.