The Hindu : Front Page : India-China border talks begin

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Thursday, Jan 18, 2007
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India-China border talks begin

Diplomatic Correspondent

— Photo: V. Sudershan

NEGOTIATORS: National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan with China's Special Representative Dai Bingguo prior to the border talks at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Wednesday.

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NEW DELHI: Indian and Chinese Special Representatives M.K. Narayanan and Dai Bingguo, who have been tasked with negotiating a settlement of the border dispute, began their ninth round of consultations here on Wednesday. The talks will continue on Thursday as well.

As a matter of policy, the countries have chosen not to give any details of the deliberations that take place between the Special Representatives. A brief statement is usually issued at the end of each round of talks.

However, the countries announced that they had reached an agreement in April 2005 on "political parameters" and "guiding principles," on the basis of which a detailed settlement would be negotiated.

During a meeting in Cebu in the Philippines on Sunday, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao agreed that the discussions should take place with "greater vigour and greater innovativeness."

Also, during the November 20-23, 2006 visit of President Hu, India and China agreed that an early boundary settlement would advance the basic interests of the two countries and shall, therefore, be pursued as a "strategic objective."

"The Special Representatives shall complete at an early date the task of finalising an appropriate framework for a final package settlement of the India-China boundary. Pending the resolution of the boundary question, both sides shall maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas in accordance with the agreements of 1993, 1996 and 2005," the November 21 joint declaration said.

The eighth round of Special Representatives' talks was held in Beijing from June 25 to 27, 2006.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry statement said at the time: "Chinese Special Representative & Vice Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo exchanged views with Indian Special Representative & National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan on the framework of the issue [possible boundary settlement] in a friendly and candid atmosphere."

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