New Delhi: India and China on Monday ended two days of talks on issues related to their border dispute, saying it was vital to maintain peace in order to develop their relationship.
The fourth meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs was held in Beijing Sep 29-30.
“The talks were held in a candid, constructive and forward looking atmosphere,” an official statement said.
“Reviewing recent developments in the border areas, especially in the western sector, the two delegations agreed that peace and tranquility on the border is the basis for the continued expansion of India-China relations.
“To this end, both sides discussed further measures to maintain stability on the border, building on existing understandings and arrangements,” the statement added.
India and China, which went to war in 1962, claim each other’s territory.
The Indian delegation was led by Gautam Bambawale, joint secretary (East Asia), and included officials of the ministries of external affairs, defence and home affairs besides the Indian Army and Indo-Tibetan Border Police.
The Chinese delegation was led by Ouyang Yujing, Director General of the Department of Boundary and Oceanic Affairs in the foreign ministry.
It included officials from the ministries of foreign affairs and national defence.
The fifth meeting of the Working Mechanism will be held in India at a mutually convenient time, the statement said.
India and China are in talks over the draft of a Border Defence Cooperation Agreement (BDCA), which is based on a proposal by China on how to further peace and tranquility on the unsettled over 4,000 km Line of Actual Control (LAC) that functions as the de facto boundary.
Both sides held the 16th round of Special Representatives talks on the border in Beijing June 28-29. (IANS)