11th round of Sino-India boundary talks end

New Delhi, Sept 26: The 11th Round of the Special Representatives Talks on India-China boundary question ended today in Beijing.

The talks, which began on September 24, featured the Special Representatives of the two countries. According to a Government spokesman, Indian National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan and Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo held useful and positive discussions on the framework for the settlement of the India-China boundary question.

The two sides agreed that the next round of talks would be held in Beijing. Specific dates for the proposed meeting would be decided through diplomatic channels, the spokesman said. The talks assume significance as it is being held ahead of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's planned visit to China later this year.

"China is willing to join hands with India to find a fair and rational solution acceptable to both sides through friendly consultation in line with the political guiding principles set by the two leaders," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Jiang Yu said.

In Philippines, in January on the sidelines of ASEAN-India Summit, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao had said the Special Representatives should hold the talks with 'greater vigour and innovativeness.'

The 10th round of talks between the Narayanan and Dai was held in New Delhi and Coonoor from April 20-22, 2007 during which, the two sides continued their discussions on a framework for the boundary settlement on the basis of the Agreement on Political Parameters and Guiding Principles reached in 2005.

In 2005, during Jiabao's visit to India, both sides established the guiding principles and political parameters for resolving the boundary dispute. Beijing and New Delhi in June 2003 appointed Special Representatives to address the border issue from a political perspective of the overall bilateral relations.

The boundary dispute between India and China involve large areas along their 4,000-kilometre border. India says China is occupying 43,180 sq km of Jammu and Kashmir, including 5,180 sq km ceded to Beijing by Islamabad under the Sino-Pakistan boundary agreement of 1963. China, in turn, says India is in possession of some 90,000 sq km of Chinese territory, mostly in Arunachal Pradesh.

Before the appointment of Special Representatives, eight rounds of border talks had already been held between 1981 and 1987 and an additional 14 Joint Working Group meetings between 1988 and 2003.

ANI

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