New Delhi: The reported Chinese demand for
cancellation of the Dalai Lama`s speech at a Buddhist
congregation here next week is believed to have led to the
postponement of India-China border talks scheduled for Monday.
The Chinese side is said to have called off the 15th
round of the talks between Special Representatives (SR) of
both the sides after India refused to accept their demand that
the congregation which was to be addressed by the Tibetan
spiritual leader be called off.
The Dalai Lama was to address the valedictory function of
the four-day Global Buddhist Congregation, co-organised by the
Public Diplomacy division of the External Affairs Ministry, on
Wednesday.
The Indian side is believed to have conveyed to China
that the Congregation was of a religious nature and not a
political event and it cannot cancel it.
There was no official word on the reasons for the
cancellation of the SR talks from both side.
The Chinese embassy here also declined to comment.
Chinese Special Representative Dai Bingguo was to travel
to Delhi for talks with his Indian counterpart Shivshankar
Menon to follow up on their talks in the 14th round in Beijing
in November last year.
The External Affairs Ministry issued a terse statement
"we are looking forward to the 15th round of SRs talks in the
near future and the two sides remain in touch to find
convenient dates for the meeting."
Dai and Menon were expected to discuss putting in place a
mechanism for border management mooted by Chinese Premier Wen
Jiabao during his visit to India last year.
A decision to set up the mechanism was taken at a meeting
Wen had with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at Sanya in April.
PTI
