The Hindu : Front Page : India, China decide to step up dialogue

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Oct 28, 2009
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Front Page

India, China decide to step up dialogue

Sandeep Dikshit

“No discrimination against Chinese in issue of business visas”

China does not raise Dalai Lama visit issue
It condemns Mumbai attacks and Kabul bombings

Photo: Bhagya Prakash K

COLOURFUL START: External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna presents a traditional Mysore turban to Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi at the start of a trilateral meeting with China and Russia in Bangalore on Tuesday. At left is Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. —

BANGALORE: Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna and his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi on Tuesday decided to step up dialogue between the two countries to build trust at several levels.

During a 90-minute meeting here on the sidelines of the trilateral Russia India China (RIC) dialogue, the two Ministers favoured more frequent high-level exchanges, media, cultural and people-to-people interaction and even more defence exchanges.

Mr. Krishna described the meeting as “warm” and the exchange of views on “all aspects” of bilateral relations as “fruitful.”

China did not raise the proposed visit of the Dalai Lama to Arunachal Pradesh next month but complained about India’s decision to cancel business visas and convert them to employment visas.

On the complaint that the cancellation of business visas had affected many of its workers, India explained that it was a uniform policy being applied to all foreign nationals. “There was no change in the visa regime. Only the misuse of the business visa was stopped. Visas would henceforth be uniform employment visas,” Mr. Yang was told by his Indian interlocutors.

China condemned the Mumbai attacks and the repeat bombing of the Indian embassy in Kabul after India gave a detailed briefing and “exposed” the masterminds, said highly placed sources. China said such killing of innocent civilians “also affected them.” The two sides also dwelt on trade issues and explored ideas to step up the volume in a manner that addressed Indian concerns about the massive imbalance.

Both countries resolved to step up communication in order to avoid the kind of differences that had recently cropped up over disputed areas and the Dalai Lama issue. No official word was available about the meeting, barring a brief statement read out by Mr. Krishna.

The reason why the meeting took so long was that Mr. Yang’s observations had to be translated into English.

The Foreign Ministers welcomed the positive outcome of the meeting between their Prime Ministers in Thailand and discussed measures to improve ties. These would include celebration of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties in a “befitting manner.”

Mr. Krishna accepted Mr. Yang’s invitation to visit China next year.

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