India, China hold talks on boundary dispute

     New Delhi: The seventh round of the India-China boundary talks began today at Hyderabad House here to find a fair and reasonable framework that would be acceptable to both sides. National Security Adviser M. K.Narayanan is leading the Indian side, while the Chinese side is being headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo.

    Earlier today, Dai met Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh before beginning the four-day parleys aimed at resolving the dispute between the two neighbours. After their talks, Dai and Narayanan will proceed to Kerala for the next three days in a houseboat in the backwaters. This is the seventh round of talks and the last round was held in Beijing in September. At the backdrop of this crucial talk, China said the two sides should proceed forward on lines of mutual understanding. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang had stressed the need for mutual understanding and accommodation to reach to a solution agreeable to both the sides. The Special Representatives will make efforts and explore the framework for resolving the border issue keeping in mind the political perspective and the also the bilateral relations. The parleys gain importance as India and China are expected to exchange high-level visits this year to mark the first-ever 'India-China Friendship Year.' The seventh round of India-China boundary talks is taking place close to the landmark India-US pact on civilian nuclear cooperation signed during US President George W. Bush's visit to India. New Delhi has briefed Beijing on the prominent features of the deal accorded during Bush's visit. India and China showed interest in speeding up the process to find a solution to the boundary problem. This will provide impetus to the strategic partnership and the current momentum in bilateral ties. The sixth round of talks between the two nations on the question of boundary was held in China from September 25-28, 2005. A statement was issued in Beijing after the sixth round that held the discussions as the beginning of the ''second phase'' of negotiations. The Indo-China boundary issue has been lingering for many decades, obstructing speedy development of bilateral ties.

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