New Delhi, Wednesday 11 November 2009: Refusing to join issue with China over the Dalai Lama’s visit to Arunachal Pradesh, India today hoped that Chinese “rhetoric” would stop after the Tibetan leader’s trip comes to an end.

Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor also rejected as “silly” the reminder about 1962 war by an anonymous Chinese scholar in a newspaper article there and underlined that India has come a long way since then.

“I am sure our Ministry (of External Affairs) will respond more officially.. I don’t wish therefore to personally increase the temperature on this one,” Tharoor told reporters here.

He was asked to comment on the Chinese statement that it was “strongly dissatisfied” over India allowing the Dalai Lama to visit “the disputed eastern section of the China-India border regardless of China’s grave concerns” over it.