NEW DELHI, 12 March 2006 — To settle down their longstanding dispute over border, India and China began the 7th round of talks here yesterday. The sixth round of the talks was held in Beijing last September.
While the Indian side is led by National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan, the Chinese is headed by Executive Vice Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo.
Narayanan and Dai, began talks at the Hyderabad House in the capital to reach an “agreed framework for a boundary settlement.” Narayanan and Dai are designated as special representatives to conduct negotiations on border issues.
After holding the talks yesterday, the two delegations are due to continue their talks at an idyllic retreat in southern Kerala state today.
India and China had chalked out a set of guiding principles and parameters to solve border issues during Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao’s visit to India in last year. The boundary dispute, which involves large areas along their 4,000-km border, is a bitter legacy of the 1962 war between the Asian giants.
China occupies part of the disputed Jammu and Kashmir region with India accusing Pakistan of illegally ceding it to Beijing.
India alleges that China illegally occupies 43,000 square km of land in Kashmir (which Delhi calls Aksai Chin) while China has laid claim to large parts of India’s northeastern Arunachal Pradesh state and earlier claimed Sikkim. Improving bilateral ties in the past few years have facilitated the dialogue on the boundary issue.
In 2003, India said it recognized the Tibet region as an autonomous part of China and Beijing recognized Sikkim as part of India while both sides decided to appoint special representatives for finding a solution to the boundary question.
The NDTV network reported that the two sides are working at solutions, which will include not disturbing settled populations and adjustments based on “new geographical realities.”
“However, the tougher question to settle is India’s claim on Aksai Chin and China’s insistence that Arunachal Pradesh is theirs,” the channel reported.
During the talks, the Indian side is also expected to convey to Beijing that its growing relationship with Washington is not aimed at containing China, official sources said.
The two sides will also discuss possible high-level visits including Indian Premier Manmohan Singh’s visit to China and the Chinese President Hu Jintao to India this year.
Before starting the parleys with Narayanan, the Chinese representative met with the Indian premier. — Additional input from DPA.
