CHINA-INDIA 2

Amid the row, Chinese Ambassador to India Zhang Yang
today met Gautam Bhambawale, Joint Secretary (China) in the
External Affairs Ministry, but the sources said it was not
connected with the issue and the matter was not discussed.
The sources pointed out that China had been, for the last
two years, refusing to stamp visas on passports of people
hailing from J and K and instead issuing visas on loose sheets
of paper.
India has lodged a strong protest over this action but
China is not relenting.
The worrying aspect is that it has "mushroomed" now to
defence exchanges, the sources said.
"We don't accept it and so have decided to put on hold
all defence exchanges so that we have candid discussions with
China with an aim of clarifying," they said.
"The action is tied to China's position on J and K and
Kashmir. We don't accept that as it leads to infer that status
of the state is yet undecided," the source said.
India sees China's policy on J and K being full of
"dichotomy" as on the one hand it questions the status of
the state while on the other hand it undertakes projects and
developmental works in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
While defence exchanges, like visits by defence officials
and training programmes, would remain suspended, Border
Personnel meetings will continue as these are part of
confidence-building measures for peace and tranquility on the
border.
In south Indian city Hyderabad, Defence Minister A K
Antony ruled out snapping defence ties with China in the wake
of the row, saying short term problems would not affect
overall approach towards China.
"It is not a question of breaking defence ties with
China. We have close ties with China, though there could be
some problems occasionally," he told reporters at a function.
Commenting on the development, External Affairs Ministry
spokesperson Vishnu Prakash said the General's visit did not
take place "due to certain reasons" but did not elaborate.
He, however, made it clear that China needed to be
sensitive to India's concerns.
"While we value our exchanges with China, there must be
sensitivity to each others concerns. Our dialogue with China
on these issues is ongoing," he said.
Political parties slammed the Chinese action, saying it
was an "insult" to India and asked the government to take up
the issue strongly.
"I am told that the visit to China has been postponed
for a while. I am not aware of why it is being delayed," Gen
Jaswal said. (MORE) PTI