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Wednesday, Sep 19, 2007
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International

Boundary talks with China next week

Pallavi Aiyar

Dates decided during dialogue between Shivshankar Menon and senior Chinese officials

Fruitful discussions: Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon with Chinese officials in Beijing on Tuesday. India’s Ambassador to China, Nirupama Rao, is to his left.

Beijing: China and India will hold a fresh round of boundary negotiations between September 24 and 26.

The meeting, which will be the 11th round since Special Representatives were appointed to find a political solution to the border issue in 2003, will be held here, according to Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu.

The dates were decided during bilateral talks between Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon and senior Chinese officials, including Chinese State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan, Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and Assistant Foreign Minister He Yafei.

Mr. Menon’s discussions during his two-day visit were described in a brief press release by the Indian embassy as “positive, constructive and fruitful.”

Nuclear deal issue

However, there was no word on whether Mr. Menon obtained an assurance from Beijing that it would back the India-United States nuclear deal, a quest that was reportedly high on his agenda.

According to Xinhua news agency, Mr. Tang told Mr. Menon that China and India “have a solid basis and broad prospect to develop their friendship and cooperation.”

“China and India should promote exchanges and cooperation in various fields, increase coordination and cooperation in international and regional affairs, so as to promote the bilateral strategic partnership toward peace and prosperity,” Mr. Tang was further quoted as saying.

Mr. Menon’s visit comes ahead of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s first official trip to China that is expected by year-end.

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