The external affairs minister played down the recent irritants in bilateral ties including issuance of stapled visas to Kashmiris by the Chinese embassy in New Delhi, China's claim on Arunachal Pradesh and border incursions.
India and China are not rivals, external affairs minister SM Krishna said in Beijing today, emphasising that "divergences" between the two Asian giants were often exaggerated by "vested interests".
Reaching out to China, Krishna played down the recent irritants in bilateral ties including issuance of stapled visas to Kashmiris by the Chinese embassy in New Delhi, China's claim on Arunachal Pradesh and border incursions.
Instead, the minister said bilateral issues were "under control" and underlined that because the two countries were different their divergences were exaggerated. "If truth be told, there are vested interests at work too," he said in a speech at a think-tank in Beijing.
Seeking support for India's claim to a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council, he urged China to "review" its policies on UN reforms to "welcome" its neighbour to the core group of the world body.
"Indeed, even on the complex issue of UN reforms, it is time for China to review previously held positions and welcome the presence in the Security Council of a nation with which it has much in common," he said.
Krishna said the two countries have made "considerable progress" on the boundary question, a resolution of which will be time-consuming and said both sides should adopt a patient approach and show maturity in dealing with outstanding issues.
"It is going to be a time-consuming affair and one has to be patient to deal with it. The Special Representatives are aware of their responsibilities and we hope a mutually acceptable solution can be arrived at," he said.
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