India China talks on issues of mutual importance

New Delhi, Sept 8 : External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukheerji and his Chinese counterpart Yang Jeichi on Monday discussed various issues of mutual importance.

The Chinese Foreign Minister who is on a three day visit to India, called on Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh this afternoon on his arrival from Kolkata.

A cultural programme was also presented in his honour.

He inaugurated the Chinese Consulate in Kolkata last evening.

The Indian leadership is expected to convey its disappointment about Beijing's stand at Nuclear Supplier's Group (NSG) meet at Vienna for granting waiver to New Delhi's nuclear trade.

Reports from Vienna suggested that China, which initially refrained from saying much on the India-specific waiver from the (NSG), started playing an "active role" to try to block a consensus before the nuclear cartel decided to give India the waiver on Saturday.

Beijing's stand at Vienna came as a surprise to India especially after Chinese President Hu Jintao and Prime Minister Wen Jiabao had assured Dr. Singh that their country would take a constructive stand on the issue.

Jeichi's visit to India follows a similar visit to Beijing undertaken by Mukherjee in June 2008. The four-day visit saw the world's most populous nations talking the language of partnership. The ministerial exchanges follow Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to China in January this year.

Trade ties, the border dispute, the situation in Tibet and other issues of bilateral, regional and global importance to the two countries are likely to figure in the discussions between the two foreign ministers.

ANI