Mukherjee's visit to Arunachal: China reacts mildly

In marked contrast to its sharp criticism of a high-level visit four years ago, China today reacted mildly to President Pranab Mukherjee's trip to Arunachal Pradesh by saying it hoped India would refrain from "actions that complicate the boundary question".
China, which claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of southern Tibet, highlighted the "sound momentum" of bilateral relations and joint efforts to address the border dispute.
"We hope that the Indian side could meet China halfway to safeguard the overall interests of bilateral relations, refrain from taking actions that complicate the boundary question, work together with us to maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas and create conditions for boundary negotiations," the Foreign Ministry said.

The ministry stated its position in a written reply to a query from PTI seeking its reaction to Mukherjee's two-day visit to Arunachal Pradesh beginning today.
It further said: "China-India relationship maintains a sound momentum of growth, with the two sides exploring ways to solve the boundary question through friendly consultations at the special representatives' meeting."
The response was in sharp contrast to China's strong reaction to a 2009 tour of Arunachal Pradesh by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. At that time, China said it was "deeply upset" about his visit to the "disputed region".

The Foreign Ministry further said that China's position on the "disputed area of the eastern section of the China-India boundary is consistent and clear-cut".

The ministry's response this time around was sober and guarded and devoid of any protest. In the past, China never minced words in conveying its protests and concerns whenever Indian leaders or the Dalai Lama visited Arunachal Pradesh.
Beijing has also opposed Asian Development Bank funding for water projects in the northeastern Indian state.