New Delhi: External Affairs Minister SM Krishna on Monday left for Beijing on a four-day visit, during which India is expected to raise its key concerns over the issuing of stapled visas to Indians from Jammu and Kashmir and Chinese activities in that state.
The minister will hold wide-ranging talks with his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi in Beijing Tuesday.
Krishna's maiden visit to Beijing comes ahead of a likely meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chinese President Hu Jintao in Washington and Brasilia later this month.
Krishna will formally open the Festival of India in China and attend a reception to mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. He will also call on Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao Wednesday.
The discussions will cover an entire gamut of bilateral relations, including the boundary dispute and issues relating to bilateral trade which has tiled in favour of Beijing.
The two sides are expected to set dates for the 14th round of talks between their special representatives to resolve the boundary dispute that triggered a war in 1962.
Ahead of the talks, India has said that it will raise its key concerns with the Chinese leadership during the visit, including Chinese infrastructure activities in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir.
Officials of the external affairs ministry Saturday asked China to stop issuing stapled visas to Indians from Jammu and Kashmir and asked Beijing to be sensitive to New Delhi's "core concern" on this issue.
"This is a matter of core concern for India because it goes to the heart of our territorial sovereignty and integrity," said Gautam Bambawale, joint secretary who heads China and East Asia sections in the external affairs ministry.
India is also hoping that China will declare its support for New Delhi's candidature for a permanent seat in an expanded UN Security Council this year when the two sides are celebrating the 60th anniversary anniversary of their diplomatic ties.
Despite differences over a host of issues, bilateral trade is burgeoning and is now estimated to be USD 43 billion in 2009, but with India's trade deficit turning out to be whopping USD 15.8 billion.
India is set to press for greater market access to Indian commodities and the easing of barriers to promote more balanced trade relations.
IANS
First Published: Monday, April 05, 2010, 16:06