China keen to resolve border dispute with India

As Special Representatives of the two countries - Shivshankar Menon and Dai Bingguo - held the 15th round of border talks in New Delhi for a second day today, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said it is committed to resolve the issue through friendly consultations to "find a mutually acceptable, fair and reasonable solution in a peaceful manner".

"As for China-India boundary issue, since 2003 through the mechanism of the meeting of the special representatives the two sides have had candid and practical dialogue," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, Liu Weimin told a media briefing here declining to go into details of the talks in New Delhi while stating that the meeting is still going on.

He said the two countries have reached a consensus on the guidelines of settling the boundary issue which is an important foundation for the settlement of the boundary issue. "Our position on the issue is consistent and clear. We believe that through friendly consultations we will find a mutually acceptable, fair and reasonable solution in a peaceful manner," he said.

"We believe the peaceful development of China and India is an opportunity for both sides and the whole world. With the joint efforts of the two sides, 2012 will be a year of greater and better exchanges and cooperation between China and India. The year 2012 will become a year of cooperation and development," he said.

"Recently, the two sides exchanged views on China-India relations. We believe that the rise of China, India and the emerging countries have been an influential event or the most influential event in the world," Liu said.

Reiterating that there is enough room for both the countries to develop peacefully together, he said there is also room for cooperation between the two countries. Dai, designated as State Councillor is scheduled to return home tomorrow after a four day visit to New Delhi.