It was not India, but China that raised the recent differences along the boundary in Sikkim during External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee’s just concluded visit to the neighbouring country.

It’s learnt that his counterpart Yang Jiechi used the meeting to officially express concern about the “boundary issue, particularly the Sikkim area” and went on to claim that China had been administering the area under contention since the 1890s.

In fact, Yang is said to have gone a step further and told Mukherjee that the Indian government was not getting accurate reports. According to him, there was a “difference” in the reports being sent by Indian “border patrol” and what was finally reaching the government, thus suggesting a disconnect in government perception and ground realities.

For his part, Mukherjee chose not to counter it, but raised the other issue of arms supplies to the North-East and the area ceded by Pakistan to China in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. He suggested that these be discussed between Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon and Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister He Yafei separately.

While agreeing to the suggestion, the Chinese side was quick to add the “Sikkim issue” as the third item on the agenda of the two officials.

It’s learnt that China also raised strong objection to the media prominence being given to the Dalai Lama and Tibetan Youth Congress protestors in India. When Mukherjee sought to explain that India was a multi-party democracy with a free media, Yang is said to have responded that China was aware about how the Indian government works but maintained its concerns over the Dalai Lama being allowed to freely use the media platform.

... contd.