Officials should sort out stapled visa issue: Wen Jiabao

Premier Wen Jiabao today said officials of India and China should have "in-depth" discussions to resolve the differences on stapled visas issued to those hailing from Jammu and Kashmir.

Wen himself raised the issue at his meeting here with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, saying that China takes India's concerns seriously, foreign secretary Nirupama Rao told reporters.

"We would have brought up the issue. Before that the premier raised the issue," she said adding Wen suggested that officials from both the countries should have in-depth consultations to resolve the issue.

When pointed out that the ball was in China's court on the issue, she agreed saying the ball has to be in their court as it was they who had to do it.

China started the practice of issuing stapled visas to people from Jammu and Kashmir two years back. India sees this as an act amounting to questioning the state's integration with rest of the country.