The Hindu : Front Page : Progress in border talks, says Wen

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 26, 2007
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Progress in border talks, says Wen

Pallavi Aiyar

Focus on devising a framework accord

Narayanan meets Premier Wen
Sonia’s visit will boost ties: China

Beijing: Negotiations between the Special Representatives of India and China — National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan and Executive Vice Foreign Minister Dai Binguo — on the border dispute began here on Tuesday. This is the 11th round of talks since the appointment of the Special Representatives.

The in-camera talks, which will continue till Wednesday, are focussed on devising a framework agreement for resolving the dispute on the basis of the “political parameters and guiding principles” finalised during Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao’s visit to India in 2005. Mr. Narayanan also met Mr. Wen in Beijing on Tuesday. Welcoming him, the Premier said there was “progress” in the ongoing boundary talks.

High-level visits

The latest round of talks comes ahead of a slew of high-level bilateral visits. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is expected to visit China later this year and a Chinese official confirmed on Tuesday that Congress president Sonia Gandhi would be paying a visit at the invitation of Chinese President Hu Jintao.

“We are confident that the visit by Ms. Gandhi will further enhance the mutual understanding and friendship between the leaders of the two countries and promote the exchanges between the two political parties and strive for the development of our state-to-state relations,” Vice Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee Zhang Zhijun told journalists here.

PTI reports:

Mr. Zhang said: “We attach great importance to this visit and the International Department is making every possible preparation.”

It is not clear whether the United Progressive Alliance Chairperson will visit Beijing before the 17th National Party Congress of the Communist Party of China, which is set to open here from October 15. The party Congress, held once in five years, will elect the new Chinese leadership for the next five years.

Ms. Gandhi last visited China in 1996. Her planned trip to China in 2003 was cancelled.

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