China on Friday maintained a diplomatic silence on the Sikkim issue, while stressing that historical legacies of the past should not impede the overall development of bilateral relations.

Welcoming Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's statement in Parliament on Wednesday on his landmark visit to China from June 22 to 27, Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said both countries had reached 'important consensus' on the development of bilateral ties.

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"We believe that so long as the two sides demonstrate trust and enhance dialogue, any question can find proper settlement," the spokesman said.

While Kong did not respond to Vajpayee's remark on the Sikkim issue that both India and China have initiated a process by which Sikkim would not be an issue in Sino-Indian relations, he welcomed Prime Minister's statement on Tibet.

"China welcomes the important statement by India on the question of Tibet," he said, despite the fact that Vajpayee claimed that there was no change in India's stand on the Tibet issue.

"The visit to China by the Indian prime minister last month is a success. It has helped to promote mutual understanding and trust between the two countries. It has played an important role in pushing ahead the overall development of relations in the new century," Kong said.