Even as India and China get ready to meet for their third round of talks on the boundary issue in May-June, Beijing has for the first time stopped showing Sikkim as a separate entity in its world maps and included it as a part of India.In the latest issue of its official World Yearbook published in March, the world map shows Sikkim as an integral part of India, thereby putting to rest the heartburn in New Delhi about China being the only country in the world that had so far refused to do so.An MEA spokesperson was matter of fact about the announcement. ‘‘As you are aware, during the Prime Minister’s visit to China in June 2003, a process was started by which Sikkim would cease to be an issue in India-China relations. In this regard, we have taken note of the latest developments,’’ he said.The yearbook comes in the wake of Beijing’s October 2003 step to remove Sikkim as a separate entity in its Foreign Office website.This step-by-step process was part of the deal put into place during PM Vajpayee’s visit, during which both sides signed a memorandum of understanding on border trade at Sikkim, thereby implicitly accepting the Indian state as being part of the Union.In response, India had also formally recognised the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) as being part of the People’s Republic of China.With this little hiccup out of the way, both sides are now likely to focus on the framework principles of the boundary settlement that stretches from Aksai Chin in the western sector to Arunachal Pradesh in the east when they meet in May-June, after the formation of the new government.Diplomatic sources, meanwhile, also pointed out that as India and China got down to the resolution of issues left over by history, they were moving ahead on other areas such as trade.Bilateral trade is likely to touch $10 billion by the end of the current year, while both countries will open cultural offices in each other’s capitals by the middle of the year. Tourism offices will also be inaugurated soon in these cities.
