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Cold Beijing tells Jaswant Singh to stay at home

The prime minister's special emissary Jaswant Singh's proposed visit to China to discuss the thorny border issue has been called off due to 'unenthusiastic' response from Beijing.

Senior government officials who requested anonymity said that India's recent announcement to improve ties with China apparently has had a mixed response in Beijing, which was startled when Defence Minister George Fernandes identified China as India's number one enemy. The Pokhran II nuclear tests, too, did not exactly endear India to the Chinese.

Consequently, the Chinese leadership had decided that it would tone down its earlier 'warm' response to India on the border and other issues.

Which is why Beijing has sent a cold, unenthusiastic response to Jaswant Singh's proposed visit.

A leading national daily had come out with a report outlining Jaswant Singh's visit, which was to have taken place shortly. However, the government denied the report which also said that Jaswant Singh cancelled his appointments in the country because of his China visit.

Asked whether Jaswant Singh or any other senior government official was likely to visit Beijing soon, the officials answered in the negative. However, they said, the Indian Ambassador to Beijing, Vijay Nambiar, would appraise South Block when the Chinese leadership was ready to welcome New Delhi's officials.

The officials declined to comment on the defence minister's statement on Tuesday that Pakistan had 'gifted' a large tract of land in Jammu and Kashmir to China, which actually belonged to India.

The policy makers in South Block still appear to be unfocused in their China policy, especially since the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government assumed office.

After Fernandes made his controversial statement, the Chinese leadership has increased its contact with the US, with the result that the Sino-US strategic gameplan for South Asia has a pronounced anti-India stance.

The South Block officials, for their part, contend that as long as India feels uneasy over the continuing Beijing-Islamabad-Washington link, New Delhi would take all steps to safeguard its security.

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