NEW DELHI: As they aim to reset ties, India and China have resolved to pursue finding an early solution to the thorny boundary issue as a “strategic objective”, noting that an early settlement of the dispute will advance their basic interests.
A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held extensive talks, largely dominated by the border dispute, both the countries today released a joint statement detailing the outcome of the deliberations.
On the boundary issue, the statement said the two sides exchanged views on the India-China boundary question and reiterated their commitment to seek a “fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution”, proceeding from the overall interests of bilateral relations.
Recognizing “peace and tranquility” on the border as an “important guarantor” for development and continued growth of ties, both the countries said they would continue to make joint efforts to maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas pending a final resolution of the boundary question.
“Recalling the Agreement on the Political Parameters and Guiding Principles for the Settlement of the Boundary Question signed in April 2005, both sides reiterated their commitment to an early settlement of the boundary question and expressed their conviction that this will advance basic interests of the two countries and shall, therefore, be pursued as a strategic objective,” it said.
Though the import and positions in the 2013 Joint Statement, issued after talks between Premier Li Keqiang and then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and current one remain the same on boundary issue, there were new phrases in current document like “strategic objective” and “early solution” used in context of the contentious issue.
The joint statement of May 20, 2013 had said, “The leaders expressed satisfaction over the work done so far by Special Representatives of the two countries on the Boundary Question and encouraged them to push forward the process of negotiations and seek a framework for a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable settlement in accordance with the Agreement on Political Parameters and Guiding Principles.
“Pending the resolution of the boundary question, the two sides shall work together to maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas in line with the previous agreements,” it had said.
The three-day visit of Xi, the third by any Chinese President to India, was dominated by the border standoff in Ladakh region and Modi had taken up the issue strongly in their meeting yesterday.–PTI
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