New Delhi: Against the backdrop of some
provocative actions by China, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
will meet Premier Wen Jiabao in Vietnam next week during which
the two leaders are expected to take stock of the bilateral
ties.
Singh and Wen will have a bilateral meeting on the
sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Hanoi, Foreign Secretary
Nirupama Rao told reporters here while briefing on the Prime
Minister`s visit.
She refused to spell out the agenda of the meeting which
is expected on October 29, saying it was "premature" to speak
on it.
The meeting will be the first top level contact between
the two countries since some provocative actions by China
beginning some months back.
In July, China refused permission to a Lt General to visit
that country as part of defence exchanges as he was serving in
Jammu and Kashmir. This was seen as an action amounting to
questioning India`s integrity and an angry New Delhi put on
hold all defence exchanges till this issue was addressed by
China.
Coinciding with this action, China reportedly had sent its
troops to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, ostensibly to build a
highway. China has also been undertaking some other projects
in PoK.
India sees these steps as objectionable considering that
it considers the territories as its own.
Asked to comment on growing Chinese assertiveness, Rao was
evasive, merely saying that there is "space enough" for both
the countries to co-exist and that is India`s "outlook for the
future".
She said India and China are important Asian countries and
relations between the two large neighbours have matured and
grown.
PTI
