Officials should sort out stapled visa issue

New Delhi, Dec 16 (PTI) Premier Wen Jiabao on Thursday
said officials of India and China should have "in-depth"
discussions to resolve the differences on stapled visas issued
to those hailing from Jammu and Kashmir.
Wen himself raised the issue at his meeting here with
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, saying that China takes India's
concerns seriously, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao told
reporters.
"We would have brought up the issue. Before that the
Premier raised the issue," she said adding Wen suggested that
officials from both the countries should have in-depth
consultations to resolve the issue.
When pointed out that the ball was in China's court on
the issue, she agreed saying the ball has to be in their court
as it was they who had to do it.
China started the practice of issuing stapled visas to
people from Jammu and Kashmir two years back. India sees this
as an act amounting to questioning the state's integration
with rest of the country.