JOIN USExternal Affairs Minister S M Krishna, who arrived here in the central Chines city on Sunday on two-day visit to attend the meeting of Foreign Ministers of Russia, India and China (RIC), held separate bilateral talks with his Russian and Chinese counterparts on its sidelines. In a 70-minute meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jeichi, Krishna sought China’s support for India’s bid for UNSC permanent seat, stressing the need for the international community to focus “intensively on this issue”.
During the meeting, Yang gave “positive” indicators over supporting New Delhi’s bid for the membership of the powerful world body, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao told reporters.
While seeking China’s support, India also asked it to be sensitive to its concerns relating to Jammu and Kashmir just as it is alive to Beijing’s concerns over Tibet and Taiwan.
Referring to the issue of stapled visas being issued by China to residents of Jammu and Kashmir over which India has raised strong objections, Krishna told Yang that as India-China relations evolved and grow both sides should show mutual sensitivity to each other’s concerns.
“In the contest of Jammu and Kashmir issue, he (Krishna) expressed hope that China would be very sensitive to our concerns on this very vital issue for India, just as we have been sensitive to Chinese concerns, for instance on the Tibet Autonomous region and Taiwan,” Rao said.
China considers Tibet and Taiwan as inalienable part of its territory. Asked for her comments on Chinese reaction to the stapled visa row, Rao said: “You have to read the right meaning in what was conveyed by our minister to the Chinese minister”. The public reference to Tibet and Taiwan by India is seen here as a significant indication to show its strong feelings towards China’s stand on the stapled visa issue.