Sticky point in Singh-Wen talks: stapled visas

The controversial issue of stapled Chinese visas to Kashmiris and Sino-India economic ties are expected to figure in crucial talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao in Hanoi tomorrow.

The controversial issue of stapled Chinese visas to Kashmiris and Sino-India economic ties are expected to figure in crucial talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao in Hanoi on Friday.

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China started the practice of issuing the stapled visas about two years back and the issue triggered a major row in July this year when Beijing wanted to give such a visa to India's Northern Area Commander Lt Gen B S Jaswal.

India responded by suspending high-level defence exchanges for which Lt Gen Jaswal was travelling to Beijing and has repeatedly made it clear that these will remain on "pause" till China reverts to its earlier position on Jammu and Kashmir.

The meeting between Singh and Wen, the first top level contact since the July incident, will take place in the backdrop of Beijing's unwillingness to review its policy.

China has said it will not relent on the issue of stapled visas to people of Jammu and Kashmir.

Singh, while replying to a question on India-China relations after delivering a lecture on 'India's Development Experience', kept aside the controversial issues like stapled visas over which the two countries had a war of words on Tuesday.

The issue is expected to figure in talks that Singh will have with Wen on Friday on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Hanoi.

Rejecting India's assertions that Beijing should respect its sensitivities on Kashmir, China on Tuesday said its policy of issuing stapled visas to Kashmiris would remain unchanged.