By IANS,
New Delhi : India and China will hold the 14th round of boundary talks soon, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna Friday said and added that Beijing should be sensitive to New Delhi’s “core concerns” on issues like Jammu and Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh.
“Till now, we have held 13 rounds of talks. We are going to have another meeting soon, which is on the cards. There are bound to be differences, but there is a willingness on part of both countries to resolve the boundary dispute,” Krishna told journalists.
Special representatives of India and China, National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon and Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo, who was China’s ambassador to New Delhi, are expected to hold the 14th round of talks over the boundary issue. India and China have held 13 rounds of boundary talks, but without any visible breakthrough.
Krishna asserted that Jammu and Kashmir is a “legitimate part” of India and reiterated India’s objections to the Chinese practice of issuing stapled visas to people from that state.
The Chinese practice is seen here as a ploy to question India’s sovereignty over Jammu and Kashmir.
“China has maintained strict neutrality on Jammu and Kashmir. So we hope China will continue with that position,” he said. Krishna said New Delhi has made it clear to Beijing that issuing stapled visas was not acceptable and that there was need to “be sensitive to each other’s core concerns” to build relations.
“We have conveyed to them (China) that we do not accept the stapled visas and we are not going to accept these,” he said.
“China should keep our sensitivities in mind. That’s how relationships are built, sustained and nurtured,” the minister said.
Krishna underlined that Arunachal Pradesh was a “part and parcel” of India and said that the government of India was willing to support the state government’s efforts for infrastructure building just like any other state in the union.
He ruled out any conflict between India and China in the region amid concerns over Beijing’s attempt to encircle India in its immediate neighbourhood by stepping up influence in countries like Sri Lanka and Nepal.
“China makes overtures to neighbouring countries. India will also make overtures. They will not necessarily lead to conflict,” he said. “Our relationship with Japan and Vietnam are independent of our relationship with China,” he said when asked whether India was expanding its ties with Japan and South Korea in view of perceived threat from China.