India, China discuss border problem

NEW DELHI, Nov 24 (PTI) — India and China today held seventh round of expert-level talks to take forward the process of finding an amicable solution to the protracted boundary problem.

Officials said the outcome of the meeting of the experts from diplomatic and military spheres would be conveyed to the Joint Working Group. The group had last met in Beijing for the 11th round.

Both sides discussed at length their perceptions and positions along the Line of actual Control (LaC), they said.

The Chinese delegation included Deputy Director General of Asia Department and officials from the Defence Ministry and the Peoples Liberation Army while the Indian side, includes Sujan Chenoy, Director (China) in the External Affairs Ministry besides officials from the Defence Ministry, Army Headquarters, Home Ministry and Surveyor General of India.

A decision to hold this meeting was taken during the visit of the External Affairs Minister Mr Jaswant Singh to China last June when he held wide-ranging discussions with his Chinese counterpart Tan Jianxuan.

Discussions have been underway to narrow differences and clarify positions along the LaC.

China, which has termed the boundary question as a "complicated issue left over by history", has maintained that it has adopted a "positive" attitude towards peaceful solution through friendly talks in accordance with the principle of mutual understanding and accommodation.

HONG KONG (PTI): India is confident of forging good neighbourly relations with China to ensue regional peace and security, External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh has said.

"We have some difficulties and concerns. We seek a relationship in which both sides would be responsive to each other's concerns, we would like such concerns to be addressed in a meaningful manner", Mr Jaswant Singh said in an interview to the South China Morning Post yesterday.

He expressed the confidence that India and China, two ancient civilisations, could address common concerns and find answers to residual problems through dialogue and denied that New Delhi considered China a threat, the paper said.

"We remain committed to a process of dialogue to resolve all outstanding differences", Mr Jaswant Singh, who was here on a one-day visit told Willy Wo-Lap Lam, a senior editor of the paper.

"We seek a friendly, cooperative, good-neighbourly and mutually beneficial relation with China on the basis of Panchsheel", he said.

His comments on Sino-Indian relations come as military and diplomatic experts from both sides are meeting in New Delhi to find an amicable settlement to the border dispute and other issues hampering bilateral ties.

The Foreign Minister agreed that friendly relations between India and China could contribute to regional security.

"India and China are the two largest countries in Asia. Our relations have a bearing on the peace and security in Asia and the world", he said.

He ruled out the possibility of a trilateral alliance between Russia, India and China.

"Russia, China and India are three major Asian countries. India and Russia have a friendly relationship. Russia has a close relationship with China. Our relations with China are developing", he said.

"On international and global issues, certainly we have our own interests. Our viewpoints and approaches have converged on some issues in recent times. However, this does not amount to re-inventing the cold war in any fashion or creation of any blocs".

He said India welcomed China's imminent accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

"We have welcomed China's entry into the WTO. We have always held the view that a large country like China cannot and should not be left out of multilateral arrangements", he said.