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PM meets Chinese counterpart Wen for informal talks
Monday, January 14, 2008
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday
kicked-off his three-day maiden visit to China with an
informal meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao
as both sides grappled to find a mutually acceptable
solution to the festering boundary issue.
Singh and Wen discussed a range of issues of mutual
interest during their 'restricted meeting', held at the
Diaoyutai State Guest House.
National Security Advisor, M K Narayanan, Foreign
Secretary Shivshankar Menon and Indian Ambassador to China
Nirupama Rao were also present during the parleys. |
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Striking a positive note before his talks, Singh said
bilateral ties were now poised to enter a "vibrant and dynamic
phase".
"We attach high priority to strengthening our relations with
China," he said adding that China was India's largest
neighbour and a "focal point" of its "Look East" policy.
The vexed boundary issue is expected to figure prominently
during the discussions though both sides do not expect any
breakthrough at this stage. Special Representatives M K
Narayanan and Dai Bingguo, senior Vice Foreign Minister, will
brief the leaders on the progress in negotiations on the
boundary problem.
"An early settlement of the boundary question will advance the
basic interests of the two countries and should, therefore, be
pursued as a strategic objective," Singh, who arrived here
today, said in an interview to Chinese media.
Singh, who was accorded a red carpet welcome at the Beijing
international airport, will have official delegation-level
talks with Wen at the Great Hall of the People on Monday.
This is Singh's first visit to China. Singh has met Wen many
times in the recent past, the latest in Singapore on the
sidelines of the East Asia Summit in November.
Singh's visit comes amidst reports of recent Chinese
intrusions across the Line of Actual Control (LAC). New Delhi
has said that there are differences of perception with Beijing
over certain areas but both countries are committed to
maintaining peace and tranquility along the border.
"There are individual areas where we think there are
activities and infrastructure development. We have ways of
dealing with this and it has always been successful," senior
Indian officials said.
"We have worked together to maintain peace and tranquility
along the border.... We do have areas where we have
differences of perception. We do not see any change in the
situation. The border is peaceful and has remained peaceful,"
they said.
Apart from Wen, Singh will call on Chinese President Hu Jintao
during his three-day stay.
Singh is the fifth Indian Prime Minister to visit China after
Jawaharlal Nehru, Rajiv Gandhi, P V Narasimha Rao and Atal
Behari Vajpayee.
"This visit is important as it comes after a series of events
which have strengthened the strategic and cooperative
partnership between the two countries," officials said while
referring to several high level visits from both sides since
last year.
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