(Rpting, adding matter in para nine)

Cebu, Jan 14 (UNI) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao today directed their Special Representatives (SRs) to accelerate the pace of their talks on the nagging border question between the two countries and seek an early solution to it more vigorously.

The crucial meeting between the two leaders on the sidelines of the 12th ASEAN Summit here today came just days ahead of the ninth round of talks between National Security Adviser M K Narayanan and Chinese Vice-Premier Dai Bingguo, the Special Representatives of the two countries, in Delhi for three days from Tuesday.

The meeting between the two Prime Ministers has provided a fresh political impetus to the talks between the Special Representatives.

According to him, the Chinese Premier listed out the logical steps that both sides needed to take to upgrade their "Strategic and Cooperative Partnership" that was agreed upon in 2005.

He also underlined that, whatever others might say or intepret, India and China were friendly neighbours with a shared and common view of how the world should be looked at.

At Dr Singh's request, the Chinese leader explained China's position on the latest developments in Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan.

He said it was important to understand the complexities of these developments.

Mr Wen said that the border question could be solved and China was willing to solve it, sentiments that Dr Singh reciprocated.

The two Prime Ministers asked their Special Representatives to pursue their search for a solution to the question with ''greater vigour and innovativeness''.

A senior official told UNI that the talks were held in a "very warm and cordial atmosphere''.

Apart from bilateral matters, Dr Singh and Mr Wen also discussed regional and international issues, he said.

The Chinese Premier extended an invitation to Dr Singh to visit China later this year, which he accepted, Mr Narayanan said.

The NSA denied that the SR-level talks were shrouded in secrecy.

He said the two sides had, in the first stage, reached an Agreement on Political Parameters and Guiding Principles in April, 2005. He said the SR-level talks would come up with a framework agreement on the basis of which the delineation of borders could take place later.

"We are interested in settling the question as early as possible.

We are committed to solving it," he said. He said this would be done in a manner satisfactory to both sides.

In reply to a quesiton, Mr Narayanan said China had no complaints as far as FDI proposals by Chinese companies were concerned.

He said the India-US Civil Nuclear deal did not come up at the meeting.

He pointed out that Chinese President Hu Jintao had indicated during his visit to Delhi in November last year that China would not be an obstacle on the issue.

India has said that the border question must be solved on the basis of the Guiding Principles agreed upon in 2005.

During President Hu's visit to Delhi last November, the two sides had agreed to step up the efforts to find a solution to the boundary dispute and not to allow it to hinder growth of the bilateral relationship in other areas.

Both sides see an early settlement of the boundary question as a ''strategic objective''.

Dr Singh arrived in Cebu last night for the fifth India-ASEAN Summit being held here today and the 2nd East Asia Summit tomorrow.

Mr Narayanan told journalists accompanying the Prime Minister yesterday that the two sides had made progress on the boundary issue. "We have made a lot of progress," he said.

In response to a query on the hurdles on the boundary question, Mr Narayanan said, "The problem is that China says there are issues left over by history. We say that history has no borders." "It is a problem involving the people and territories of the two countries," he said.

India has, in the past, made it clear to China that it should not expect any territorial concessions in the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh. India has also made some proposals for opening up the border and institutional cooperation across it.

UNI