India-China border differences can be resolved: Pranab
India-China border differences can be resolved: Pranab
London/Beijing: As China frowned on Dalai Lama’s visit to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh, India on Monday said border differences between the two countries can be resolved through dialogue.
A day after the Tibetan spiritual leader rebuffed China for objecting to his trip to Arunachal Pradesh, Beijing made no comments but a state-owned paper suggested he had gone to the border town of Tawang under pressure from India.
The state-run newspaper Global Times quoted a Chinese analyst as saying that the Dalai Lama went “at this critical moment probably because of pressure from India."
It went on to say that “the appearance and activities of the Dalai Lama in southern Tibet may foment anti-China sentiment among people living in the region."
In London, finance minister Pranab Mukherjee said the two countries had agreed to resolve border issues through talks.
“It is true that we have differences with China on border. But, we have agreed to resolve them through dialogue," he told reporters after the G-20 meeting in Scotland.
China, which stakes claim to Tawang and the whole of Arunachal Pradesh as part of their country, has strongly objected to the Dalai Lama’s visit.
India has made it clear that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of the country. It has also stated in unambiguous terms that the Dalai Lama is an honoured guest and a religious leader who is free to travel anywhere in the country.
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