Tibetan exiles protest against border talks between India and China

New Delhi, March 1 (ANI): More than a dozen Tibetan exiles shouting anti-China slogans staged a protest outside Hyderabad House, even as the foreign ministers of India and China were meeting to discuss various issues here on Thursday.

Draped in Tibetan flags and holding anti-China placards, the protesters shouted slogans demanding freedom for Tibet.

They said that any border talks between the two countries could take place only after freedom is granted to Tibet.

"No border talks are possible between India and China. As long as Tibet is not free, these countries can't talk about the border issue," a Tibetan protester said.

Police officials deployed outside the venue had to briefly detain the protesters.

Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi is meeting Indian Foreign Minister S M Krishna in the backdrop of some bickering over Beijing's objection to Defence Minister A K Antony's recent visit to Arunachal Pradesh.

Antony visited Arunachal Pradesh last month to participate in the statehood celebrations.

Certain parts of the state are in contention between India and China.

China says most of Arunachal Pradesh is part of Tibet. On its part, India claims China's isolated Aksai Chin Plateau near Kashmir, as its own.

China claims vast swathes of Indian territories along their 3,500 km (2,173 mile) Himalayan border.

Jiechi arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday to soothe nerves and boost bilateral ties between the two nations and to lay the groundwork for the visit of Chinese President Hu Jintao to India for the BRICS summit to be held here later this month.

BRICS is an international political organisation that bands together the emerging economic powerhouses of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. (ANI)

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