Beijing: Ahead of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's first meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao in Europe, China on May 20 indicated that talks are on with India to resolve the Sikkim question that bedevil bilateral relations.

"This is a problem that has existed for a long time," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said when asked to comment on China's position on the Sikkim question.

"China and India would like to conduct useful and meaningful exploration on this issue," she said, indicating for the first time that Beijing is willing to solve the Sikkim question that would provide the required political content to Vajpayee's much talked-about visit to China next month.

China had objected to Sikkim's merger with the Indian Union in 1975.

"According to the arrangement of both sides, the Chinese side has made active preparation for the visit to China by Prime Minister Vajpayee. The specific arrangement of the visit is yet to be finalised," Zhang had said on May 13.

Incidentally, Vajpayee is likely to meet with Chinese President Hu either in St Petersburg in Russia or on the sidelines of the North-South dialogue initiated by France on the sidelines of the G-8 meeting in Evian on June 1.

PTI