Indian PM hopes to settle dispute over Himalayan enclave with Chinese host
Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's forthcoming visit to China has turned the spotlight on Sikkim, the tiny Himalayan kingdom which India annexed in 1975.
China has persistently refused to accept Sikkim as part of India and the issue is expected to figure on the agenda when Mr Vajpayee visits Beijing.
On Chinese maps, Sikkim is still shown as a sovereign country and not an Indian province.
It has been officially announced that Mr Vajpayee will visit China next month, but the dates are yet to be finalised.
An Indian Foreign Ministry official said there was a possibility of an informal meeting between Mr Vajpayee and President Hu Jintao as early as next week in St Petersburg or in Evian, France, on the sidelines of the G8 meeting.
The Indian media has reported that the country is working overtime to prepare a case to convince the Chinese leadership to accept the 'ground reality' and recognise Sikkim as an integral part of India. According to Indian analysts, the Sikkim issue will be the easiest to resolve among all the disputes bedevilling China-India relations.
