China, India to hold talks on border issues

BEIJING - Special representatives from China and India will meet to discuss border issues from Friday to Saturday in Beijing, a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi and Indian National Security Adviser Shiv Shankar Menon will attend the boundary talks, known as the 16th meeting between special representatives on Chinese-Indian border issues, according to spokeswoman Hua Chunying.

When asked to comment on the results of the previous 15 rounds of talks, Hua said that the two neighboring countries "have kept effective communication on border issue" and the border region had "generally maintained peace and stability."

Hua quoted Chinese Premier Li Keqiang as saying during his India visit in May that, the cooperation and development between China and India constitutes the cooperation and development among more than one third of the human population.

"The growth of Chinese-Indian relations complies with common interests of both and we are willing to make efforts together with India to maintain the sound growth of bilateral ties," she said.

The upcoming meeting is an important high-level contact after Li's India visit. "Both sides will continue to maintain the momentum of border talks and commonly safeguard peace and tranquility along the border region in accordance with the consensus and requirements made by both leaderships," she said.

She pointed out that the border issue "is a complicated matter left by history and both have made a long-term endeavor to tackle the problem."

During the previous talks, the two sides had signed a political guideline to the border issue and reached initial consensus on the framework to find a solution.

"We are willing to make good use of the current mechanism and strive to seek a fair and rational solution acceptable by both on the basis of the agreements already inked," she said.

Before reaching a final solution, efforts should be made to "maintain peace and stability along the border region and maintain the development momentum of bilateral ties," she said.