India-China relations.

China refutes PM's criticism

7 Sep 2010, 1649 hrs IST

China responds to criticism from India's Prime Minister saying it is committed to working together with neighbouring countries. China says its soldiers are in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) on a humanitarian mission and not to further its strategic interests. China reacting on the comments of the Prime Minister said, "We are an important member of Asia and is committed to safeguarding the peace and stability of Asia. We want to promote mutually beneficial cooperation and push forward joint development. As neighbours and two rising developing powers, China and India should boost friendship and cooperation." India has to take adequate precautions but not give up hope of peaceful resolution of issues with China, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said yesterday in reaction to "pinpricks" by Beijing on Jammu and Kashmir and other issues. Relations between the two Asian giants continued to be a mix of competition and cooperation and the effort should be to create a milieu in which there can be peaceful competition, he emphasized during an interaction with a group of editors yesterday. Singh was answering questions on Beijing's refusal to issue a visa to an Indian General doing duty in Jammu and Kashmir and its insistence on issuing stapled visas people of the state.