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New Delhi, Apr 20 (ANI): Burying the hatchet, leadership of India and China made serious attempts to mend ties at the sidelines of BRICS summit in China’s resort town of Sanya last week.

Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and Chinese President Hu Jintao announced various initiatives, which include setting up of a new mechanism to increase cooperation and also restoration of high-level defence exchanges.

There is, however, no word on the contentious issue of stapled visa from either side.

Since 2008, China has been issuing stapled visas to the citizens of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, which challenges the territorial integrity of India and highlights the new found ambiguity in China’s view on Jammu and Kashmir.

China’s traditional position on Jammu and Kashmir has been of non-interference, but this shift reflects the apparent dilution in its traditional view. There is a view that China’s move of issuing stapled visas will only appease and help Pakistan’s cause, as Islamabad is hell bent to internationalize Kashmir.

Stapled visa has remained a major irritant and one of the root causes of recent tensions between India and China.

Defence ties between India and China reached tipping point last year when Beijing refused normal visa to Indian Army General BS Jaiswal, who had served the chief of northern command. In the light of this incident, India suspended defence exchanges between the two countries.

According to sources, Jaswal was given stapled visa because he had headed the Northern Command, which not only operates in Jammu and Kashmir, but also has areas facing the Chinese border in Ladakh.

Incidents of infiltration by Chinese troops were reported time and again.

According to sources, a junior ranked official in People Liberation army opposed General Jaswal’s visit to China and top leadership was not involved in the decision-making. This, some sources indicated, displayed the growing influence of the People’s Liberation Army in China’s foreign policy.

It is learnt that India categorically told China to view Indian army as a unit and not segregate Northern Command. According to sources, there is a realization of India ’s concerns and sensitivities in Beijing; in fact Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao during India visit last year had assured the leadership here that the issue of stapled visas would be resolved.

Just before the BRICS summit in China, Beijing issued normal visas to four Kashmiri journalists, which is a clear departure from the regular practice of giving stapled visas to Kashmir born Indian citizens.

Did that indicate a change in China’s visa policy pertaining to Jammu and Kashmir? There has been no announcement from Chinese side on the issue so far. It is believed that China’s overture of giving normal visas to Kashmir born journalists could be a one off case because these journalists were part of the VIP official delegation.

It is felt that if China really wants to bridge the gap with India, it should come out clear on its position on Jammu and Kashmir and should reverse its policy of issuing stapled visas. That would be the real litmus test for China.

New Delhi will be watching keenly what kind of visa Chinese embassy in India would issue to the head of the Northern Command when he visits China next. It is accepted here that even if China decides to revoke its stapled visa policy it would happen in an evolving manner.

The ball is in China’s court. And in the matter of stapled visa China has to untie the knot. (ANI)