India hopes China shows more sensitivity on key issues

Ahead of Premier Wen Jiabao's upcoming visit in New Delhi, India today hoped that China realises the need to show more sensitivity on core issues that impinge on the country's "sovereignty and territorial integrity" as raised by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Ahead of Premier Wen Jiabao's upcoming visit in New Delhi, India on Friday hoped that China realises the need to show more sensitivity on core issues that impinge on the country's "sovereignty and territorial integrity" as raised by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

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Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said the two countries were also putting in place more confidence building measures to tackle the vexed boundary issue, for which India is making a serious attempt to try to arrive at a "fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution".

Addressing a seminar on China-India relations, Rao talked about a host of issues which were a matter of concern to New Delhi and included Chinese presence in Pak-occupied Kashmir, issuance of stapled visas to residents of Jammu and Kashmir and construction of dams on cross-border rivers.

"We believe that India-China relationship will grow even stronger as China shows more sensitivity on core issues that impinge on our sovereignty and territorial integrity. We hope this can be realised," she said.

India has maintained that the activities of Chinese companies in Pak-occupied Kashmir were illegal and the issue has been raised with the Chinese leadership. The matter of stapled visa to Jammu and Kashmir residents has also been raised with Bejing.

"As India and China continue to pursue their interests, and so long as their overwhelming preoccupation remains their domestic transformation, and both understand that this goal requires a peaceful periphery, it is my firm conviction that the element of competition in the bilateral relationship can be managed and the element of congruence can be built upon," Rao said.