Pranab had called for a fair and reasonable settlement.
On the eve of President Pranab Mukherjee’s visit, China on Monday struck a positive note, saying both the countries have been taking positive steps to manage the border dispute and that it is ready to “accelerate” talks to resolve the vexed issue “at an early date”.
“China is ready to work with India to accelerate negotiations and resolve this historic issue at an early date to move forward bilateral relations,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said, responding to Mr. Mukherjee’s remark that India wants a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable settlement to solve the border issue.
“We will extend warm welcome to President Mukherjee,” on his first visit to China, Ms. Hua told presspersons.
“Committed to resolve territorial disputes”
“China and India are committed to resolving territorial disputes through negotiations seeking a fair and reasonable settlement, which is acceptable to all,” she said.
“In the past three decades and more, the two sides have been taking positive steps to properly manage disputes and safeguard peace and tranquillity of the border area, creating favourable conditions for sound and sustainable development of bilateral ties,” Ms. Hua said, responding to a question on Mr. Mukherjee’s comments to Chinese media on the issue.
Four-day visit begins today
Mr. Mukherjee, who arrives in the Chinese industrial city of Guangzhou on a four-day visit to China on Tuesday, has told the Chinese media that India seeks a “fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable settlement of the (border) question.”
He will reach Beijing on Wednesday and is scheduled to hold talks with President Xi Jinping and other Chinese leaders.
Outlining the steps taken by India and China to resolve the dispute, Ms. Hua said so far the two countries had established a series of working mechanisms, including talks at the level of Special Representatives to resolve the issue, besides reaching political guidelines and a three-step road map.
The two sides held 19th Special Representative talks here last month.
Increasing influence
“China and India are emerging markets with increasing influence on the international stage. Both the countries are major forces behind world peace and development. We are glad to see that in the past few years China and India have been moving forward on bilateral relations in a sound and stable way,” she said.
Recalling Mr. Xi’s 2014 visit to India, which was followed with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to China last year, Ms. Hua said bilateral ties had entered a period of fast development.
“We can take that President Mukherjee’s visit this time will lead to the implementation of important outcomes during the previous visits of practical cooperation and also forging of close partnership for development,” Ms. Hua said.
