External Affairs Minister S M Krishna on Tuesday said China should be guided by India's official stand on issues concerning bilateral ties and not by the reports in the Indian media, an "independent entity" which takes a critical stance on various issues.
"We have an independent media which is very articulate, which is sometimes extremely critical not (only) on India-China relations, but also on various internal and external factors," he said when a Chinese journalist asked him about "adverse" reports in the Indian media last year.
The journalist was apparently referring to reports in the Indian media about repeated incursions by Chinese troops into Indian territory and Chinese objection to the Dalai Lama's visit to Arunachal Pradesh. "...But we take it in our own stride," he said.
China should be guided by the pronouncement being made in the Indian parliament spelling out the official stand which dictates the "pace of the India-China relationship", Krishna said.
He was speaking to the media here after addressing the China Institute of International Studies, a think-tank. Krishna will tomorrow formally kick-off celebrations to mark the establishment of 60th year of diplomatic relations between India and China. Noted Indian theatre artist Ratan Thiyam would present a show on Emperor Ashoka.
He said Indian cultural events would be held this year in 33 towns and cities in China to mark the celebrations. "Cultural exchanges will go a long way in strengthening relationships. India and china are bound culturally much more than anything else," he said.
"I feel that culture is most the powerful weapon" which could be used to improve the ties between the two countries. He said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh attached great importance to the "cultural diplomacy".
"There should more opportunities for students and fold artists to visit each other countries. Like China, India also has a number of scenic spots," he said and invited Chinese to visit India. PTI
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