Chinese premier concludes India visit
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Friday concluded his three-day visit to India during which he held talks with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with main focus on bilateral trade, though other contentious geopolitical issues also figured in the discussions.
Jiabao left for Islamabad from New Delhi, where the focus again is likely to be on trade and commerce.
India and China on Thursday made limited progress on the prickly geopolitical issues as Jiabao himself raised the vexed stapled visa to Kashmir residents issue, but avoided pledging to put any pressure on Pakistan on 26/11 justice.
The two nations, however, focused on trade and business as they set a bilateral trade target of USD 100 billion by 2015.
Jiabao said that Beijing has taken serious note of India?s concerns over issue of stapled visas by China to Jammu and Kashmir residents.
The issue of border disputes also figured during talks between Jiabao and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here, with both sides deciding to maintain status quo in the disputes.
Raising the issue of stapled visas himself, Jiabao said his country takes India?s concern on the matter seriously, India?s foreign secretary Nirupama Rao said, briefing reporters at the end of bilateral talks between Jiabao and Singh.
The Chinese leader asked officials to have in depth consultation on the issue, Rao added.
She also informed that the hotline between leaders of India and China has been operationalised.
China has been issuing stapled visas to Jammu and Kashmir residents, thereby indirectly questioning the Himalayan state?s legal merger with the Indian Union.
The boundary disputes also figured in the talks between the two leaders, which lasted for over one hour.
Both India and China reiterated their ?firm commitment? to resolving outstanding differences including the boundary question at an early date through peaceful negotiations.
But while extending its support to joint efforts with India towards counter terrorism measures, China said it will not put any kind of pressure on Pakistan with regards to certain concerns of India.
China will not ask Pakistan to expedite the 26/11 trail or dismantle terror camps, foreign secretary Nirupama Rao said.
Rao added that the two sides have agreed on annual meetings of its foreign ministers to help further smoothen ties between the two neighbours.
India and China on Thursday set a bilateral trade target of USD 100 billion by 2015.
?While expressing satisfaction at the growing quantum of bilateral trade and investment ties, the two sides agreed to further broad base and balance trade and economic cooperation, and identify new opportunities to realize the vast potential for future growth,? said a joint communiqu? issued by Singh and Jiabao.
They constituted an India-China CEO’s Forum to deliberate on business issues and make recommendations on expansion of trade and investment cooperation.
The two sides concluded a Memorandum of Understanding between the Reserve Bank of India and China Banking Regulatory Commission to increase banking and financial cooperation.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao also invited Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to visit his neighbour during 2011, which was accepted by Singh.
Jiabao also welcomed India?s election to non-permanent membership of UN Security Council (UNSC).
The Chinese premier also called on President Pratibha Patil and Vice-president Hamid Ansari and met Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi during the stay.
He had opened his visit with a call at Tagore International School at Vasant Vihar on Wednesday after flying to New Delhi from Beijing on a special aircraft.
He was accorded the formal reception at the Forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan on Thursday.
Later, he laid wreaths on the Samadhi (tomb) of Mahatma Gandhi at Raj Ghat.
Jiabao also attended the closing event of the Chinese Festival in India to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two Asian nations.
