China on Wednesday confirmed that Premier Wen Jiabao will hold meetings with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Thailand this week when the two leaders attend the ASEAN summit.
Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Hu Zhengyue said the two leaders would exchange views on bilateral relations and regional and international issues of common concern.
China viewed the meeting as “a very important one” in the context of strengthening ties between the two countries, he said.
Dr. Singh and Mr. Wen will meet against the backdrop of increased tensions over the long-running border dispute. China recently criticised Dr. Singh’s visit to Arunachal Pradesh, parts of which China has claims on, while New Delhi voiced its concern over Chinese involvement in projects in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Mr. Hu did not specify whether the recent strains would be on the agenda.
“There has been good progress in bilateral relations and we hope the momentum can be sustained. The meeting is a very important one and the two sides are in close touch over preparations for the meeting,” he said.
Our New Delhi correspondent adds:
India-China ties good: envoy
China on Wednesday said its relationship with India is on a “very good term” and leaders of both nations are committed to advancing the ties in a “cooperative and mutually beneficial” manner.
Talking to journalists on the sidelines of the Indo-China Joint Workshop on National Action Plans here, Chinese Ambassador to India Zhang Yan said, “Nothing should be worried or concerned [about].” Mr. Zhang was replying to questions over recent war of words between the two countries on Arunachal Pradesh and some other issues.
“Our relationship is on a very good term and our leaders and officers-in-charge, including the Chinese Embassy, are committed to advancing the relationship in a cooperative and mutually beneficial way,” he said.
China recently objected to the visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Arunachal Pradesh. India responded strongly to it and even went ahead to question China’s participation in projects in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Mr. Zhang said India and China had a lot of common positions on climate change issues and both sides were committed to working closely for the success of the December Copenhagen summit.
