Brahmaputra dam,Arunachal,visas on table,Singh meets Wen today

The PM will meet leaders from a number of other countries subsequently over Saturday and Sunday.

Foreign secretary Nirupama Rao said in New Delhi today that the PM’s meeting with Wen is an “opportunity” to address outstanding issues between the two countries.

“You are aware of the outstanding issues that remain to be resolved between India and China and obviously in meetings of this nature,especially meetings between leadership at the highest level,there is an opportunity to address all these issues,” Rao said.

She,however,reiterated India’s position on Arunachal and the Dalai Lama. “The Dalai Lama is a respected religious and spiritual figure. He is free to travel to any part of the country,” Rao said,adding,“Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India.”

Beijing objected strongly to the PM’s October 3 visit to Arunachal on the day the state went to Assembly polls,and a few days later,criticised the Dalai Lama’s planned visit there next month.

Though it has claimed Arunachal as part of its territory on several occasions in the past,Beijing has recently upped the ante significantly.

Sources said the meeting between the two PMs is not expected to reach any major breakthrough on the border issue. Special Representatives of the two governments have already had 13 rounds of talks,their last meeting having been held in August this year.

However,the PM’s meeting with Wen is expected to instill confidence on the mutual desire to lower decibel levels after a series of diplomatic verbal exchanges on issues ranging from visas to Chinese projects on the Brahmaputra and in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

The issue of Indian visas to Chinese workers is almost certain to figure in the discussions between Singh and Wen,sources said. China is expected to argue that Chinese companies are building time-bound power projects in India; India will say that the move to streamline visas is not China-specific,and will affect the US,Russia and other countries too.

On the eve of his departure for Bangkok,Singh said in a statement that India’s enhanced engagement with ASEAN “is at the heart of its Look East Policy”. India is keen to expand its relationship with ASEAN to promote regional trade and investment. In pursuance of the ASEAN theme of ‘Enhancing Connnectivity,Empowering Peoples’,Singh will discuss with Asian leaders the need for new initiatives to accelerate greater economic integration and people-to-people contacts in a range of fields.

“I consider India’s participation in the India-ASEAN and the East Asia Summits a vital element of India’s vision of a Asian economic community that is based on an open and inclusive regional architecture,” the Prime Minister said.