India hopes China will be more sensitive to J&K: Rao

Ahead of the key visit of Chinese premier Wen Jiabao to the country later this month, New Delhi hoped that Beijing would show more sensitivity to its core issues like Kashmir so that the bilateral ties will grow even stronger. HT reports.

Ahead of the key visit of Chinese premier Wen Jiabao to the country later this month, New Delhi hoped that Beijing would show more sensitivity to its core issues like Kashmir so that the bilateral ties will grow even stronger.

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"We believe the 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", foreign secretary Nirupama Rao said.

China's Kashmir policy, including issuing stapled visas to the residents of that state and Beijing aiding projects at the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) make India believe its neighbour is subscribing to Pakistan's viewpoint.

This is despite the official Chinese position that Kashmir issue should be addressed through dialogue between India and Pakistan.

Addressing a lecture on India-China relations, Rao threw light on how India views Pakistan-China relation as well.

"While I agree that relationships between countries are not zero-sum games, we do not hesitate to stress our genuine concerns regarding some aspects of the China-Pakistan relationship..."

She said that the need for mutual sensitivity to each other's concerns cannot be denied.

"The issue of giving stapled visas to Indian nationals from the state of J&K arises in a similar context," she said.

Reiterating what PM Manmohan Singh has said that the world has enough space to accommodate the growth aspirations of India and China, Rao said the competitions between the two countries can be managed and congruence built upon.

"As India and China continue to pursue their interests... it is my firm conviction that the elements of competition in the bilateral relationship can be managed and the elements of congruence can be built upon."