After Indo-China row in Ladakh, Khurshid reaches Beijing

Beijing, May 9: External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid arrived here today on a two-day visit for the talks with Chinese leaders, just days after the resolution of a row over Depsang Valley in Ladakh where the troops of People's Liberation Army intruded recently.

Besides talks with his counterpart Wang Yi, Khurshid is expected to meet new Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, who is planning to visit India later this month, making it the first stop of his maiden foreign tour.

Ahead of the visit, he told Chinese media in New Delhi yesterday that he was satisfied with the maturity and understanding shown by two sides in trying to resolve the issue, referring to the stand-off that ended on Sunday.

"To keep them (disputes) at a proportional level and contain them as limited and localised, and not necessarily part of large scheme of things, it's important to have a fundamental understanding of each other. We have developed that for years and that's a wonderful thing," state-run China Radio International quoted Khurshid as saying.

Terming his visit as a great opportunity, he said India and China had developed a very sound relationship over the past decade, and hoped bilateral ties would be enhanced under China's new leadership. "The first signals that have come from the new Chinese leadership are extremely positive and welcome and will reciprocated in full substance from us.

We are looking forward to a meaningful decade working with the new leadership of China," he said. Khurshid's visit came under shadow earlier as the two countries grappled for a fortnight to resolve the row over the PLA troops incursion in the Daulat Beig Oldi in Ladakh, 19 km within the Indian side of the border.

After initial assertions by China that there was no violation of border by its troops, the row was resolved on Sunday following intense round of talks at various levels. The Chinese Foreign Ministry yesterday called for "proper and timely" settlement of the boundary issues to preserve peace at the borders in the light of the Depsang Valley row.

PTI