India, China to maintain peace and tranquillity in border areas

New Delhi, Aug.8 (ANI): India and China have decided to maintain peace and tranquillity in their borders after the conclusion of two-day talks held in the national capital to resolve their long simmering border dispute.

"On the boundary question, both sides expressed satisfaction at the progress being made through the Special Representatives mechanism and reiterated that pending the settlement of the boundary issue, peace and tranquility should be maintained in our border areas," Vishnu Prakash, Ministry of External Affairs spokesman told reporters in New Delhi on Saturday.

Chinese State Councillor Dai Bingguo earlier in the day called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the capital.

"Highlighting the importance of ongoing consultations and coordination between the two countries at multilateral fora, he expressed the hope that the two countries will jointly meet global challenges in the spirit of the Shared Vision. Mr. Dai Bingguo said that China takes a positive view of India's development and progress, and also supports a bigger role for India in international affairs," Prakash informed.

Indian National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan and Chinese State Councillor Dai Bingguo resumed the talks after a year's gap, focusing on narrowing down differences along their Himalayan border.

Twelve rounds of talks have been held before.

The two were expected to talk the language of partnership, highlighted by a burgeoning trade and a common position on climate change and global trade talks.

India-China talks came in the backdrop of a recent spike in geopolitical tensions as well as muscle-flexing along the border.

Feathers were ruffled two months ago when China objected to a $60 million Asian Development Bank loan for a project in northeast India in territory that is claimed by Beijing.

India officials say China also tried to block its efforts to get the United Nations to designate a Pakistan-based militant leader a terrorist, as well as privately lobbied against a nuclear deal between India and the United States last year.

Of late, Chinese patrolling of the 3,500-km (2,200-mile) border, particularly along India's Arunachal Pradesh state, which Beijing claims as its territory, has also been markedly assertive, Indian officials said.

All this, some analysts said, was largely consistent with Chinese policy towards India, but New Delhi saw it as an increasing assertiveness as part of Beijing's overall "Rising China" strategy. (ANI)