External affairs minister S.M. Krishna, reacting to the alleged ill-treatment and “abduction” in mid-December of two Indian traders in Yiwu city, on Wednesday said, “Let us try to be objective in assessing the situation and not blow it out of proportion.” According to the minister, what is important is the safety of these Indians (the two traders), which he said has been achieved.
The minister was also at pains to emphasise that India has a cooperative strategic partnership with China and that it would like to have “very cordial, friendly and fraternal relations” with its neighbour.
Chinese ambassador Zhang Yan, on his part, said: “The Chinese government attaches great importance to this matter. We are working very hard to find a solution to this issue and to resolve it as early as possible.” He also said, “We are coordinating and communicating with the relevant (authorities) and that all issues would be settled through legal processes.”
Earlier, the Chinese ambassador met the joint secretary (East Asia), Gautam Bambawale, too in South Block and assured him that attention was being paid to the matter and that the matter would hopefully be resolved soon.
However, as sources here noted, often there is little that the government here can do as Indian traders go to China on valid travel documents for business purposes. In the case of the two Indian businessmen, their passports remain impounded as they undergo a trial for non-payment of dues by their employer.
The two, however, have been pleading that they be allowed to leave China.