Redefine News

In the midst of a war of words between the two countries, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Wednesday expressed his desire to meet his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh, on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Thailand next week.

Premier Wen conveyed his wish during a meeting with Petroleum Minister Murli Deora, who was on a visit to Beijing to attend a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meet, sources said.

A day after China objected to Prime Minister's visit in Arunachal Pradesh, Vice Chief of the Indian Air Force Air Marshal PK Barbora said on Wednesday that Beijing should not interfere in Indian affairs. However Barbora downplayed Beijing's comment's on Prime Minister Singh's visit to Arunachal Pradesh.

The Chinese leader's remarks come a day after Beijing raked up its claim over Arunachal Pradesh, questioning Prime Minister Singh's visit there on October 3. India hit back on Wednesday, reacting strongly to Chinese plans to get involved in projects in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir.

The Chinese premier conveyed his message a day after his government lodged a protest against Singh’s recent visit to Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims to be an extension of Tibet and its own territory

During the meeting with Wen, Deora put up India's case for participating in the SCO's Tashkent-based Regional Counter-Terrorism Structure, along with the six-nation security grouping's full members.

He said India was in favor of an early adoption of a Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism at the United Nations. Both China and Pakistan have not ratified the convention while India has done so. New Delhi is trying to get other countries to support the adoption of the convention at the UN.

India, along with Pakistan, Iran and Mongolia has an observer status in the SCO, which comprises China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

In his summing up remarks, Wen said he agreed with the Indian minister that the role of observers has increased with the passage of time. But there was no indication on whether Beijing would accept the Indian proposal for allowing observers to participate in the Tashkent based RCTS.

Both India and Pakistan observers and not full members of the SCO. Though Pakistani prime minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani lobbied for full membership for his country, New Delhi said it wants the role of observers to be heightened.