India, China for ‘practical solution’ to border row

ON BOARD AIR INDIA ONE - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Saturday he discussed “totality of issues” with his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao and added that both countries wanted a “practical solution” to their border dispute.

On his way home from Vietnam at the end of a three-nation tour that also took him to Japan and Malaysia, the prime minister said peace had to be maintained on the Sino-Indian border till the dispute ended.

“We discussed totality of issues,” he said of his meeting with Wen in Hanoi Friday morning during which a range of bilateral and other issues came up for discussion amid continuing tensions in their relationship.

He said the countries had affirmed the commitment to bring about “a practical solution” to the border row that triggered a war in 1962. Both countries claim each other’s territory.

“In the meantime, peace and tranquility should be maintained (on the border),” he said.

A journalist asked him if China was becoming “naram” (soft) vis-a-vis India.

Manmohan Singh said he did not want to get into the “naram-garam” factor. “Whatever misunderstandings are there (in the relationship) should be removed.”

He said he invited Wen, “and in the very near future” the Chinese premier would come to India.

Just before Wen and Manmohan Singh met, China insisted publicly that it would continue to give stapled visas to Indians from Jammu and Kashmir — a sign that Beijing disputed New Delhi’s control over the state.

A commentary in a state-run Chinese daily also hinted that India’s attempt to forget better relations with the Far East was probably aimed at encircling China.