Unfazed by IAF chief's comments, Chinese FM felicitates Krishna

New Delhi, May 26 (ANI): Just days after the chief of the Indian Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major, described China as the bigger threat to India than Pakistan, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jeichi today congratulated new External Affairs Minister S M Krishna for assuming charge of the Foreign office.

Jeichi in a statement said "The Chinese side attaches great significance to the friendly relations of cooperation with India.

Expressing his willingness to work with Krishna,Jeichi said:"I am ready to work closely with Your Excellency to implement the important consensus reached by leaders of both countries and push forward the continuous, stable and sound development of bilateral relations."

The strains were expected to grow in the already fragile Sino-India relationship when the Indian Air Force chief in an interview to an English daily said India faces a greater threat from China than Pakistan because New Delhi knows little about Beijing's combat capabilities.

In the last five years Sino India relationship has done well in the field of trade which today figures over 50 billion dollars annually, but the stalemate continues on border talks.

Despite several rounds of talks between the special representatives of the two countries, the status quo remains.

Jeichi's gesture ahead of the BRIC summit in Ekatarinberg next month assumes significance, as it sets the stage for a meeting between Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Chinese President Hu Jintao. By Naveen Kapoor (ANI)