Beijing, September 26
India and China have adopted formal and informal means to address their boundary dispute as their special representatives held talks today, aimed at finding a “package” solution to the vexed issue.

India’s National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan and Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo met informally in the eastern metropolis of Shanghai during the weekend before arriving here for official-level negotiations, an official source told PTI.

“The two special representatives had long and many informal meetings in Shanghai before coming here,” he said, adding that the two sides were addressing the issues involved in a determined way.

Even today, the first day of the sixth round of talks, Dai requested for an informal meeting prior to the holding of delegation-level negotiations, which went on for nearly 45 minutes at the picturesque Diaoyutai State Guest House.

Prior to the informal meeting, Mr Narayanan and Dai shook hands, exchanged pleasantries and posed for photos, displaying good chemistry between them.

Indian Ambassador Nalin Surie, Joint Secretary, East Asia, Ministry of External Affairs, Ashok Kantha and other senior officials are attending the incamera talks.

Mr Narayanan, who is on his first visit to China, will call on Communist Party Politburo Standing Committee member and Chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) Jia Qinglin here tomorrow. He will also meet with Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing tomorrow.

The Special Representative mechanism to address the border issue was created during the June 2003 visit of the then Prime Minister, Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee, to China. The two sides agreed to appoint a Special Representative each to explore, from the political perspective, the framework of a boundary settlement.