Rights of 22 Indian merchants would be protected:
Beijing, Dec 15 On the eve of the meeting between Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh, China today assured that the ``lawful rights and interests'' of the 22 Indian diamond merchants who were arrested in January this year would be protected.
Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said here tonight India had every right to protect its territorial integrity and would take 'appropriate action' as it feels necessary to deal with terror strikes.